Little But Powerful
by Under Cover Duckling
Summary: I DO NOT own The Hunger Games, I give credit to Saltey, who made a chart that really helped me. What happens when an 11 year-old goes to the Hunger Games? Read this story and find out! And of course it's a *MARY SUE STORY*
1. Chapter 1

_**This is my first fanfiction and I am very excited! I have always wanted to write something so here it is. I hope you guys like it! :)**_

The reaping isn't until next week but I don't care. I'm still too young to enter. I'll enter next year. I stay in my "bed". Not even, this bed is not comfortable. It's made out of hay and then there is just a sheet that covers it. Then I just look at my walls, old and dirty. I bet the people in the Capitol have it all, throwing away all their food. All of the other districts used to be like that until the uprising, which is what made the Games. My district is planning to stop that.

The people of District 10 are planning to put poisoning into the meat that they are going to send to the Capitol. My parents own a butchering shop around our house but they do not want to take part of this. If the Capitol finds out, then the whole district will be punished. I finally start to wake up and get off my bed. I grab my glasses and I put my work clothes on, old blue pants, a black shirt and a jacket. I then put my hair into two braids. When I walk to the breakfast table, my parents and brother are talking.

"Gael, can you please pass me a cloth." my mother asks.

"What cloth are you talking about, it's not like we have a real one." answers Gael. My mother gives him a stern look.

"Gael-" she starts.

"Just give her what she calls a cloth." commands my father. Gael grabs the cloth, which is really just a piece of an old dress, and hands it to her.

"Thank you." she answers. "Good morning Ginger." my mother says while handing me a plate and a spoon to eat my food.

"Good morning."

I eat the same thing every day and every time, this badge mushy thing. My older brother, Gael, got it from last year's tesserae. The tesserae is when you are entered once more than you are supposed to, in the Games, in exchange for one year's supplies of food for one family member. Gael did it every single year to keep our family alive and it helped us a lot. I was so happy when Gael wasn't picked at all but I don't know if that will happen to me. I'll be entering next year since he is too old.

Gael says not to enter the tesserae but I need it to keep our family alive. Gael doesn't really have any friends. His best friend, Buck died in the 67th Hunger Games. Buck and Gael were only thirteen. Now Gael doesn't really care about him but when Buck was killed, Gael didn't talk for a week. I thought that I would never hear his voice again but when I did, I was the happiest little girl in the district. After breakfast I ask,

"Gael can we go around the Hob and the district?" The Hob is a store where anything and everything can be bought, usually the poorer districts have them.

"Sure Ginger, whatever you'd like." he replies. Before we leave, we each say our good byes and say that we will be back. My mother always says

"I love you and have fun!" but my father says,

"Be careful." Of course, as always the protective one of the family, next to Gael then my mother then me.

"Leave them alone, have a great day!" my mother says.

"We will!" I say.

"Don't worry we'll be safe." Gael says looking into my father's eyes.

Gael and I start walking to the Hob. The Hob around our house used to be an old barn but now it's a tiny little store. When Gael and I go inside, I see the same old things, animal skin, animals, clothes, and some cooking items.

"Come on, there's nothing in here for us." Gael tells me.

"What about this animal skin?" I ask while holding the skin of a yak. "Mom can make some clothes."

"No, it's not really cold now and if it was cold then we would have to buy thread. Which we don't have money to buy. Let's just go back home and then we can go hunting. Then if we have time, we can go and trade food."

"Okay." I say sadly while I put the yak skin back. Gael and I walk back home to get our weapons.

"Did you find anything useful?" asks my mother once we walk in.

"No." I say looking at Gael.

"No," Gael says looking at me. "But we are going to go hunting find food." he says looking at my mother. "Do you know where the weapons are?"

"They're in the door to the left." my mother says.

"I don't want you to get hurt." says my father.

"Hey, that was only once." I say. Gael goes to the door and he grabs a spear and he gives me throwing knives. We then leave the house to go the hunting area. I have gotten pretty good with the throwing knives but I wasn't always like that. Once when I was about ten-years-old, Gael was teaching me how to throw the knives father then I ever have. When I went to go and grab a knife, I accidentally grabbed the knife the wrong way giving me a pretty scary cut. Gael then tried to help me by he taking the knife, hurting himself as well. Ever since that day, we had to be extremely careful when we were hunting.

There is a certain area, every couple of hundred miles, where the citizens of District 10 can hunt for their family. There is a catch, as always, most of your food, and of course the best, must go the Capitol. To make sure that none of the good meat goes away, there are Peacekeepers, soldiers, everywhere to check you and your findings. Gael and I hunt for our family and for our butchering shop. Not all of the citizens can hunt at else no one will make money so there are only fifty hunters per a town, who have to train themselves. Hunters are only in the towns that don't have any farm land around them.

Gael and I live in such a big district, with such little towns, fifty people per a town is about one percent of the population. Gael and I are lucky to be one of those fifty. I kill nine, almost ten, squirrels and Gael kills the nicest deer I have ever seen. A Peacekeeper, about five feet away stares at the deer like it was, his own.

"I really hope that they take all of the squirrels and let us keep the dear." I say while removing the knives from the squirrels and Gael taking his spear back.

"So do I. If we do keep the deer then mom can make one of the biggest deer stew with some vegetables from District 11." Gael says.

"But if the Peacekeepers do take the deer, would they at least give us enough squirrels for all of us?"

"Possibly, I mean this is a really nice deer." he answers. "Let's get going."

"Fine." I say. Gael carries the deer like a baby and I spilt the squirrels evenly, four on one hand and five on the other. This is the part that I hate, carrying the food to the Peacekeepers. Not because the animals are heavy, because all of the hunters come with a lot of food and then leave with so little. Gael and I wait in line along with all of the other hunters.

"Place your food on the table." says the Peacekeeper once we finally get the front of the line. Gael then nervously puts the deer on the table and I put the squirrels right next to the deer. Please don't take the deer. Please don't take the deer. I think once all the food is on the "Hum." The Peacekeeper grunts and then he says while looking through the food. "Take four squirrels. Well take the rest and the deer." I grab two squirrels and Gael carries the other two. We then leave the Peacekeeper with the deer and the other squirrels.

"I can't believe they took the deer!" Gael says angered once we are far away from the hunting area.

"Neither can I." I say. "I thought they were going to let us keep the deer and then take everything thing else." I turn to take the path back home.

"We're not going home." Gael says.

"Then where are we going?" I ask angered as I get out of the path.

"We are going to the bakers to see what your squirrels can give us."

"We're not giving away all of the squirrels right?"

"Of course not, we need some for ourselves. Let's see if we can get home before dinner." We then start walking to the bakery. We do this every year. One week before the Games, my brother and I try to find something good to trade it for something better. That is if there is something better to trade. After we trade in the food, we save it for after the reaping and have a little party to celebrate that none of us were hopefully reaped.

"So what do you think we are going to get this year?" I ask as we are walking to the bakery. Gael thinks for a while and finally answers,

"Maybe we'll get four loaves of bread. One for each of us."

"I'm so happy." I say joyfully.

Gael looks confused. "Why?"

I say with a big smile. "None of us are going to get picked! I'm too young and you're too old!" Gael smiles and we just keep walking.

When we walk inside the bakery, all I smell is the best bread in the district. Gael then asks "How many loaves of bread for four squirrels?" Then Fora, one of the nicest ladies in the world, is a baker who used to take care of me when I was little. That was only when the whole family was busy.

"Eight loaves of bread." Fora says nicely. Eight loaves may sound like a lot but it really isn't. The loaves are about the size of squirrel's head. "Just because the squirrels look fresh and they are in a good condition."

"We'll only take four." says Gael. I'm happy that now each of us will have our own tiny loaf.

"So then that will be two squirrels. I'll trade it in the butchers and get a fair amount of money for it." she says. I sometimes see Fora trading the squirrels in our family's shop.

She then heads to the back of the bakery to get bread. When Fora comes back to the front of the bakery, she comes out with nice fresh loaves of bread. Three are plain and the fourth with nuts and raisins, my favorite type of bread. "Here you go twins and tell your look alike parents I said hi." Fora also calls our family the quad family because we all look alike, dark brown hair and eyes and tan skin. "Also here is something else." Fora then sneaks in some cheese.

"We can't take it." I say.

"Why not?" Fora answers.

"We don't have enough money." Gael says.

"Don't worry, I own you." She then puts the cheese in Gael's hands. Onetime, a when I was five, when the district was scarce in food and my family stole from their own store, Gael gave Fora two nice looking squirrels and she only had one loaf of bread to give us. Fora then promised Gael that she will own him. While I was helping my mom around the house, Gael and my father went hunting and found nothing. It was tempting to steal but my parents didn't want to get in trouble. Eventually my mother and father stole from their own shop. My mother was so worried. Every day she used to ask my father,

"What if they catch us? They will kill us all and Gael isn't old enough to go and take care of Ginger! They are going to find us and kill us!" This used to worry me every day. Ever since that day we didn't take a single slice of meat. Gael and I start walking home as soon as we get the bread. He gives me only one loaf.

"I'm not that weak, you can give me another one." I say.

"Okay here you go, it's heavy." He says joking around.

"Ha ha. Very funny." Then we both really start laughing. We don't just walk, we make jokes to cheer each other up from this long walk.

"Okay." I say. "Let me think."

"What about-" says Gael.

"No, no. Don't you dare. I've got one. What does the leaf says to the other leaves?"

"Leaf me alone."

"No- wait how you know?"

"I am the one who told you that joke."

"Oh, right." He starts laughing at me.

"It's okay. I've got one. What part of the body is the Capitol?"

"Oh come on. I hate this joke. It reminds me of the uprising."

"Just answer it"

"I can't, I hate it."

"Come on, please."

"Fine." I sigh. "The head."

"Yep. I hate that joke too."

"How did she remember?" Gael looks puzzled. I sigh. "How did Fora remember that she owned us something."

"Oh right, I guess good memory." We are finally home and Gael opens the door. I see my mother crying and my father comforting her.

She is saying "Why? Why? It's not our fault!" Gael puts his stuff on the table. He spots a letter on the floor, walks up to it and reads it.

"This can't be happening." Soon there are tears in his eyes.

 _ **Thanks for reading! This is how everything starts off and how the story will unravel. I will try to explain any parts of the chapter that didn't make any sense and I will also try to give away some fun facts about the character(s).**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Want to know what's in the letter? Then read this chapter and find out!**_

What is happening? My brother is shocked, my mother is crying and my father is sad. I get inpatient so I just take the paper out of Gael's hands and read it in my head. It reads:

District 10:

It has come to my attention that this district has sent the Capitol some meat, as always. This meat was different than the others. I found poisoning inside that was intended to kill me. As a punishment all of the District 10's, and only this district, eleven-year-olds will now be put into the reaping. The twelve-year-olds will now be entered twice; thirteen-year-olds will be entered three times and so on. The tesserae will not be allowed. These rules are only for this year. If this happens again, a bigger punishment will be taken.

President Snow

Those idiots. Why did the butchers put the poisoning before the reaping? I was so happy that my family was safe and now I am in danger. Why couldn't the older kids be reaped? The Capitol did this on purpose. The Capitol knew that putting eleven-year-olds into the reaping would make the punishment even worse.

"So I have to go into the reaping?" I say almost crying. I may not be picked but the fear of that I might be picked is the scariest thing ever. My mother nods and says,

"Yes you do." All I can do is cry. I cry because it is not fair. My family did not take part of this and I still have to be punished. Some of the people that took part of this, their children are nowhere near the age to be reaped so they don't get punished at all. At that moment my family gives me a big hug. My father then says,

"Everything is going to be alright."

"What if it isn't?" I ask.

"Don't worry it will be fine." says Gael.

Then after five minutes of hugging, I leave. My mother goes outside to buy me a good luck dress. Gael leaves to find more food. My father stays home and starts to put away the food. I rush upstairs and fall asleep. There is only six more days until the reaping. I may not get picked but you never know. I fall asleep wondering how life was before the uprising. Everyone had no fear and we were all happy but in the real world, the only people that are happy are the people in the Capitol. It's not fair that our generation has to suffer. The people in the Capitol don't need to suffer, so why should we? I wake up and get dress in my work outfit. I put my hair into two braids and then I go to the table as usual. I'm not going to let this one year rule change my life. When I go to the table, it looks the same but feels different. Everyone is so quiet. So I start a conversation. So I just say,

"What's for breakfast?" I eat the same thing every day but I still say it.

"Oh, the same old thing." my mother says but she keeps on speaking "Here's the dress that I found for the reaping." It is the nicest dress I have ever seen. It was a golden light yellow with white lace on the collar. The short sleeves have a white collar at the bottom.

"How did you afford to buy a dress like this?" I ask.

"I only bought a couple of things, like the thread and some fabric."

"Did you make it?"

"Yes and the fabrics were from District 8."

"How did you get it then? Doesn't it cost more?" asks my father.

"Yes but I traded it."

"For what?"

"I killed two deer, a baby and an adult." Gael says. "I had to since the Peacekeepers took the biggest and the fattest one."

"What?" my father exclaims. "We could have used some for food!"

"Don't worry, then I went with mom to trade it. When the traders gave me the clothes and the thread, they also gave me two squirrels."

"Well that's a fair deal. Then where's the squirrels?"

"Here." I say pointing at the squirrels that are nice and already cooked. "How did you season them?"

"I went to the market." my mother answers. "I had some spare money that I could spend so I bought some seasonings. We will eat like the citizens of the Capitol, well sort of."

"I find it unfair." I say.

"What?" asks my father.

"That we, the people of District 10, hunt and raise animals while the Capitol does nothing and yet they get all the food. The only people who have it good are the people in the Capitol and the victors."

"Well if you become a victor then that is how you will be."

"I know but the problem is that we have to earn it while the Capitol doesn't."

"That is just how it is."

"Well it doesn't have to be." I mumble.

"What?"

"Nothing." I say in my regular voice. My mother then hands out breakfast, the badge mushy thing and some squirrel. "What do you thing is going to happen at the reaping?" I ask. Everyone stops moving and they look at me. Then the table is completely silent.

"Don't worry about the reaping," Gael says. "I didn't really put much thought to it and I didn't get picked."

"But-"

"Don't worry, just eat and you'll be fine."

"Can we at least go around the district?"

"Well," Gael says looking at my parents. "I suppose so but don't talk about the reaping." Gael says now looking at me.

"Okay well I'll try."

"Well I hope you do." Gael says laughing.

When Gael and I go finish breakfast we leave the house to look around the district. We leave the house and then I start taking the path to where the Hob and the bakery are. Gael goes the opposite direction as me.

"Where are you going? The bakery is this way!" I exclaim to Gael.

"We're not going to the bakery."

"Then where are we going?"

"To the Bracelet Making Area." In the Bracelet Making Area is a place where skilled people make bracelets out if animals skins that are found in District 10. I then follow Gael.

"But I thought we were going to the bakery."

"You said that you wanted to go and look around the district. You never said where."

I sigh. "Well that is true." We then walk to the Bracelet Making Area. "Have you ever been there?"

"No."

I stop walking. "Then why are you taking me here?"

"You'll understand when we get there."

"I hope so." I say. I do hope his is right. Gael may be older than me but sometimes I don't really trust him. Sometimes I don't even trust anyone. Two years when the electric fence, that stops people from District 10 from going into the real woods, was broken, there was a big threat to all of us. There was a wild coyote that crossed into the district. It was wild and crazy. It swept away children that were playing in the fields and killed many animals. The coyote was so strong that even Peacekeepers were killed. My parents wouldn't even let me go outside at that time since my mother was so scared. When I was allowed to go outside people would tell me that their animals were safe but I didn't believe them. I didn't even trust a baby chick or a calf. Then one day when Gael and I were walking back home from school, I heard a noise and I was dumb enough to follow it, without Gael even noticing.

Then out of nowhere the coyote jumped out of a bush. I screamed and then Gael came running to me. The coyote was getting closer and closer. When Gael saw it he told me not to run but the coyote was getting closer so we had to. Gael grabbed my stuff and my hand and we both started running. The coyote was catching up but then thankfully a Peacekeeper saw us and shot it dead. I didn't even trust him. The Peacekeeper was then rewarded for killing it but Gael and l were not even helped. The Capitol didn't even know that he saved us. All the Capitol knew is that the Peacekeeper killed the coyote. Then ever since that day I barely trusted anyone, sometimes not even my own family.

We then get the Bracelet Making Area. There is no one in there, not even a customer. Gael then walks up and was about to ask if anyone was working but then a crippled old lady comes out. Then she says,

"Hello, call me Auntie." While holding on to the counter.

"Can you make a bracelet to represent our district?" Gael asks.

"That little girl is eleven, isn't she?"

"Yes and she is my sister."

"Give me a couple of minutes." she says looking at me sadly.

"What do you think is going to happen?" I ask.

"When- what are you talking about?" answers Gael.

"The reaping."

"Ginger in know that you are nervous but there are so many kids in the reaping."

"Then why did you come here to make me a token?"

"Umm," Gael hesitates. "Just in case." I start to get worried. "But don't worry, you're one in thousands, you'll be fine."

"I know but remember Buck."

"Yes I do but he was doing the tesserae."

"So were you!"

"Yes and did I get picked? No. So you don't need to worry."

"I just can't stop thinking about it. I mean why did I need to be eleven? Why couldn't we be twins?"

"You're over stressing, that will just make it worse"

"I know is that I am so young."

"They are other eleven-year-olds, how do you think they feel?"

"The same?"

"Exactly, so stop worrying." After about twenty minutes, Auntie walks up to my brother and me. Then she hands me a bracelet with different types of animal skins, deer, goat, squirrel, cat, dog, lamb, fox and wolf that are nicely braided within each other.

"It's, so pretty" I say.

"Yes I used all of the skins that we had." says Auntie.

"I bet you have had a lot of customers." says Gael.

"No, not really, you were my first ones. I guess that everyone else prefers other things." says Auntie.

"Well thank you for the nice bracelet." I say.

"Good luck." says Auntie. We walk home and I am thinking that I may not walk these roads again.

"You're stressing." says Gael.

"I'm sorry I just can't. What do you do the day before the reaping?"

"I relaxed and I just spend time with my family and that's exactly what we are going to do when we get home."

"Okay." When we get home, I hope great things happen. I walk the roads like it is the last time I will. When we get home I see one of the squirrels and some of the bread along with the cheese on the table.

"What's this?"

"It is a little party since tomorrow is your first reaping." my father says.

"This is what happened to me when I was twelve." says Gael. I remember but when Gael was twelve that is when my parents barley had food so they stole. After the little party my mother puts away everything that was on the table.

"You need to sleep now." my mother says.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because you'll go to bed now but you'll end up sleeping late. Then tomorrow morning you won't sleep in because you'll be drowned in fear."

"Okay." I say. My mother is right so I go and get ready to sleep. It takes me a while to fall asleep.

After all, the reaping is tomorrow.

 _ **Yes even though Ginger is only eleven, she has to go into the reaping. I know that this does not follow the story line of the Hunger Games but I just wanted to add something different into this story.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Yes I did change the Reaping rules. I just did that to make the story more interesting. Now for the Reaping...**_

I wake up with fear. My stomach hurts so much and I and shaking crazy. All I can think of is about the reaping. After about ten minutes I get up and I put on my blue glasses. I walk to the table but I'm not hungry. My mother says, "If you eat you'll feel much better."

"No she won't, Eve." My father says. "She'll feel better if she relaxes."

"Talon, just let her eat in peace." hisses my mother. I hear a lot of thumping and then I get frightened. My mother tells me to relax. Then the door opens and Gael comes into the house.

"Look," he says handing me a piece of bread. My face lights up. "just take and eat, then relax. Your name is only entered once and you're not doing the tesserae."

"I couldn't if I wanted to." I say.

"Yes, I know that, but the point is that you name is barely in there."

"But I can still get picked."

"Yes but there are plenty of people in the district so maybe older kids will be picked."

"So what will we do if I don't get picked?"

"Well, like every single year the whole country has a party, well except for the Capitol and the tributes families."

"How did you feel on your first reaping?"

"I was nervous and a little bit excited."

"Why were you excited?"

"Because the reaping is the only thing that is exciting in the districts and I was taking a part of it."

"Yes but you didn't take a part of the Games."

"I know but you'll be fine, I promise."

"Okay then." What Gael says makes me feel a little bit better. My mother calls me and tells me to put on both the dress and the skin bracelet, which represents my district. My mother then puts my hair into two braids. Then a horn rings three times. At that moment my brother and father come in. All of them hug me.

"Go and follow all the other eleven-year-olds and then you will go to a table. There the people sitting at the table will prick your finger to take blood and then they will use your finger as a stamp." Gael tells me as we are walking to the Reaping Center.

We walk a little longer and we are there. My heart stops. My family gives me a face that says "It's going to be okay." I walk with the other eleven-year-olds, some are from school. All of us are freighted. They are cameras everywhere. I still can't believe that the reaping and the Games are public to all the districts and the Capitol. I find that disturbing. The women that are sitting down do exactly what Gael said. They prick my finger then put the blood stamp on a piece of paper with my name on it. Next we are put into groups, depending on our age. When I am put into my group, I quickly search for my parents and brother. When I find them and they find me, they give me my okay face.

After about an hour standing in the boiling hot sun, the escort, Daphne Walsh, comes up front. She walks on the stage and all am thinking is that she looks like a cave woman. She has an orange wig, light brown eyes, a bone in her hair and a dress with animal skin, like a cheetah and an orange eyeshadow. She is light skinned.

When Daphne gets on stage, she says in her high pitched Capitol voice. "Happy 73rd Hunger Games and may the odds ever be in your favor. Well I see that the eleven-year-olds are here because of some meat." she says happily. I'm guessing that she is hoping for volunteers. I can feel the anger of the district on me. Daphne continues to speak "Well as always the ladies will be chosen first!" She walks up to the ladies bowl were my name is only entered once. Once she is there, Daphne picks up a slip. As Daphne walks to the microphone my heart races. Then she reads the name "Ginger Scalavic." My heart stops. Everyone around me moves back. They're all mumbling.

"She's not going to last a day."

"She's never going to see her family again."

"Hopefully someone cloud volunteer or we get an older male tribute."

How could I have been picked, my name was only entered once. I start breathing faster and faster. How was I picked? More importantly, how am I going to live? Please someone volunteer. I think. I slowly get out of the crowd with my checks as red as ever. When I walk out of the crowd, four Peacekeepers, the soldiers of the districts or the keepers of peace, circle around me to bring me to the stage. I then turn around and I see and hear my mother.

"No! No! Please not here!" She says while my father is holding her back from running to me. Then Gael comes out of the crowd and walks to the Peacekeepers.

"You are not allowed to be here or volunteer. You must leave now." says the Peacekeeper.

"You don't understand, she's only eleven, she can't go into the Games."

"Blame that on your district." Gael then grabs my arm but then a Peacekeeper grabs his and escorts him away back to my family. The Peacekeepers then bring me to the stage. Once I reach the stage, I know that no one is going to volunteer for me or take my place. Now it's the boy's turn.

Daphne then spurts out, "Lovely, the girl tribute!" Everybody stays silent. "Okay, then, now let's get to the boys!" Again she walks; Daphne picks up a slip and then reads out the name aloud "Steven Habalth." Then the same thing happens to Steven except no one cries for him. When Steven comes on stage, Daphne says in her Capitol voice "Any volunteers?" Daphne puts her arm on my shoulder. "Well then here are the tributes of the 73rd Annual Hunger Games! You may shake hands now." Then we shake hands. Right after we shake hands the Peacekeepers escort us to the Justice Building. The Justice Building is a tall building where people receive awards and where the tributes say there final goodbyes. My family comes in and a Peacekeeper says "You only have five minutes." My whole family just rushes in. My mother rushes to me.

"I can't believe that you were picked." she says crying while hugging me tight, I am left speechless. My father says,

"Be careful and try to be unseen. Hide in some tall trees and try to make good allies"

"Okay, I'll try to pick people with a good score." I say.

"You know what to eat and what not to eat. Right? Try to find any squirrels and eat then but don't make a big fire or else other tributes will track you down." my mother asks. I nod. My brother tells me the most. He says,

"You see your bracelet?" I nod. "This bracelet represents your district. When you were little I taught you moves. Also use the moves that we do during hunting. Use them okay?" I nod.

"Wait but-" I am cut off, the Peacekeepers just takes them away. I just sit there waiting for someone else to come in or to be taken away from this place. Then the door opens. I expect Peacekeepers but I only see Auntie and Fora.

"What are you guys doing here?" I ask. I would expect Fora but I didn't expect Auntie.

"Well, we are here to wish you good luck." Fora says. Her eyes are red and puffy.

"Thank you." I answer. The Peacekeepers start to come in.

"Don't worry; you'll know what to do." Auntie says while hold my bracelet hand.

The Peacekeepers then take Steven and me to Daphne. Daphne then takes us to the station and then into the train. Inside the train there is a lot of food, we start eating. I see meat, squirrel meat and the meat from District 10. It could possibly be the ones that I hunted with Gael. My stomach isn't used to this rich food. I have been eating terrible food for years but I keep on eating because it is so good. This is how we wait for our mentor.

"How old are my tributes this year?" Daphne says with a big smile on her face.

Steven looks at me and I look at him. "I'm eighteen." answers Steven.

"What about you, Ginger? Twelve?" Daphne asks.

"I'm eleven." I say. Her Capitol smile then fades away but it then quickly comes back.

"Watch this to see the other tributes and to wait for your mentor." she says.

On the screen it shows the other reapings. Daphne was naming the tributes as they are shown. The first one is Diamond and Mace, District 1. Alexis and Nolan, District 2. Gadge and Lumen, District 3. Gadge volunteered for some young girl, who must have been her sister. Brooke and Roman, District 4. Brooke is someone I should be scared of. She volunteered for some other person, that is not related to her at all and then takes a bow up at the stage. Nina and Isaac, District 5. Casey and Carter, District 6. When he was picked Carter had a face of fear and he tried to escape the crowd until a Peacekeeper grabbed him, I mean with a hood covering his face, no one barely noticed him.

Amber and Jack, District 7. Paige and Burton, District 8. Paige, was the youngest I have seen so far, that's good to know, she is about twelve. Arley and Miller, District 9. When Miller was picked, everyone moved back but he did not come out of the crowd. Then the Peacekeepers had to go into the crowd to take Miller out.

Then there was Steven and I. I see my mother screaming, my father holding her back. Then I see Gael trying to get me. Me with then with my red checks but under that there is fear and doubt, which I think I still have. Then see Steven with a look of courage on his face. All I know is that I'm a goner. This may be one of the most touching reapings next to Gadge volunteering for her sister.

Willow and Spud, District 11. Charity and Cole, District 12. Right at that moment, when the television turned off, our mentor can in. Orford Albany, average height, green eyes, black hair and light skinned.

"Hello tributes of District 10! I'm Orford Albany, the victor of the 55th Hunger Games. I will be your mentor for this Hunger Games. The other victors are doing something else for the Capitol." It's like he wanted to us to see the other reapings. I mean Orford came out right after the television turned off.

"Now if you want to win the games, then you have to be smart but be smart in your own way."

"What do we do?" I ask.

"Do we go into the Cornucopia or not?" asks Steven

"First of all you need to find food and water. Also if you think that you can go the Cornucopia and live, then go." answers Orford. I guess I'm not going to the Cornucopia. Daphne then barges into the cart and says,

"It's getting late, you guys should fall asleep."

"Wait but I didn't even finish talking." whines Orford.

"Well it isn't my fault that you wanted them to see the whole reaping." answers Daphne. Daphne leads Steven and me to our little rooms. I change into an outfit that was laid out for me and try to fall asleep.

I wake up and I can see a glimpse of the Capitol. When Steven and I step out of the train, so do the others Diamond, Mace, Paige, Miller, Carter and so on. We are then taken to this tall building, the Remake Center.

 _ **Yes I had to put Ginger in the Games, she is the main character! I know that the main character doesn't have to be in the Games but it is cool to have the main character Games, in my opinion. Sorry about the weird last names, I couldn't really think of any so that is what I came up with. Sorry about any typos that I made. Now let us prepare for the Games!**_ __


	4. Chapter 4

_**Now that Ginger and Steven are picked for the Games, they would have to go to the Remake Center to be "fixed".**_

Once we get off the train Orford leads us to the Remake Center. Every single tribute has their own station. The Remake Center looks like a hospital, which the Capitol would have. When I get to my station, this Capitol woman tells me to take of my clothes and she hands me a towel.

"Hello, my name is Hestia." she says nicely. She looks different than all the other people in the Capitol. Nice brown hair, honey color eyes, her tannish skin, she is also pretty tall, she looks like my mom. All that makes Hestia different is that she has green eye shadow and green streaks in her hair, which a couple of strands are held with a clip. Hestia is not the only one, more of them come. "Meet Ajax, Lilith and Justice, the rest of your prep team." says Hestia. Ajax has blue hair, light skin, green eyes and he is a little short. Lilith has long pink hair with pink strands in it, light skin, brown eyes and she is an average height. Justice has green eyes, blonde hair, she is tall and...light pink skin. I heard that the people in the Capitol dyed their skin but I have never seen one before. All of them, including Hestia, have this light blue protection suit.

"What are the suits for?" I ask. With her high pitched Capitol voice, Justice says,

"You have your towel to cover you, we have these suits to protect us from your, what everyone here calls it, filth."

"Okay then." says Hestia. She then gives them a look and Ajax, Lilith and Justice start saying their jobs.

"I'll wash you and your hair." says Hestia.

"I'll remove any excess hair." says Lilith.

"I'll do you nails." says Ajax.

"And I'll do your makeup." says Justice. Hestia then leads me to a room with a tub and soap. She turns a knob and out comes the water.

"You have running water here?" I ask.

"Why of course, don't you?" asks Hestia.

"No, my brother and I have to go and get it. I'm guessing because I live in one of the poorer districts but I think all of them are like that."

"Oh, well you have it here. You also have soap." Hestia says as she opens up a giant cabinet filled with bottles and bars of soap.

"Back home we had soap but not as many as you had here." I say in awe. Back home there was a bar for all four of us but here in the Capitol, they have everything. The Capitol has running water and soaps of ever kind. There is so much soap that I thought it was a store at first.

"Which soap do you what for your hair and which one for your body?"

"There is soap for both?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I didn't even know that existed. What about the one that smells like flowers?"

"Okay." Hestia grabs the bottle and leads me to p the tub. She washes my hair but it feels like a professional is doing it.

"How long have you been washing tributes' hair?" I ask Hestia while her fingers are jamming into my scull.

"For about fifteen years. I also work at a salon in the city." she answers.

"Wow so you have been washing your hair for most of your life."

"Yes, you could say that."

"What else do you do?"

"Nothing really, is that my family did this when they were young. My mother used to work for District 2 and my father for District 5."

"Do they still do it?"

"No, sadly now my parents are too old to be working for the tributes but they still work in a salon. What does your family do?" Hestia says as she grabs a brush to scrub off any dirt from my body. "This may hurt a bit" She warns me.

"Well back in District 10, there are fifty hunters per town, which is usually the two children of butchers, just to get the meat. My parents are butchers and my brother and I are hunters. My brother and I would hunt and then the Peacekeepers would take most and the best meat that we had. Last time I hunted with him we had nine squirrels and a deer. When we left we only came back with four squirrels and no deer."

"Did you like hunting?"

"Yes it was something I loved doing. It was fun being in the woods but now I am here so...it's different." I feel like the brush is breaking my skin into pieces.

"Why couldn't your brother volunteer for Steven?"

"Well my brother is nineteen so he was too old but if he wasn't, Gael would have probably volunteered for Steven."

"Is your brother's name Gael?"

"Yes it is."

"Well, all I have to is rinse you off and you're done, okay?"

"Okay." Hestia then rinses my body worth warm water, which I wish I could stay in forever. I love it so much since Hestia's brush nearly took off all of my skin. I then get out of the tube and Hestia gives me a towel and leads me into a room.

"Who I am I seeing now?" I ask.

"You are going to see Lilith."

"Okay." Hestia then leaves and in a couple of minutes later Lilith comes in.

"Hello." she says.

"Hello." I reply.

"Since you already know my job, I'll just tell you what to do. You need to take off you towel." She says. I take off my towel and then I lie down on a table.

"What are you going to do?" I ask.

"Remove any extra hair from your body."

"Is it going to hurt?"

"No, since you're so young, you barley have any hair so it will feel like Hestia's scrubbing."

"Okay." Lilith then takes some wax paper and puts it on my legs and my under arms.

"How much longer?" I ask.

"Don't worry just a couple more papers!" she says in her Capitol voice.

"Ouch!" I shriek.

"Like I say to all of the tributes, the pain that you have here in the Capitol is nothing like the arena."

"Well you're right."

"Yes! You are finally finished! Since you weren't that hairy."

"Why don't you take off all the hair and then you wash the tributes?"

"That is how we are. Now, time to moisturize. Would you like the berry scented one or the flower scented one?"

"Just to be safe, the flowers."

"Okay, while I am moisturizing you, tell me a little more about yourself."

"What would you like to know?"

"What did you do on your free time?"

"I would either go hunting with my brother or I would help around the house."

"Oh come on, what would you do for fun?"

"I would go outside with my whole family to watch the stars. When I was up young I tried to count them all but there were so much and I couldn't do it."

"That sounds fun."

"What did you do for fun when you were a kid?"

"It was terrible since the children of the Capitol never took part of the Hunger Games, that is what we used to play. Our parents would buy fake knives and we used to pretend that we were in the Hunger Games. I used to play it when I was a child because I thought they were fake. When I was older I realized that people really died and it was terrible, I never played the game again."

"Back home even the word Hunger Games would scare me. Now that I am going to be in the Hunger Games, it just scares me."

"I would be scared too."

"At least I am not the only young one here."

"Who else is young, I never watch any of the reapings."

"Paige from District 8 and Miller from District 9. There are others but they are Careers, I would never team up with a Career."

"Are you planning to be their allies?"

"I want people with a good score."

"Do you think that you will have a good score?"

"Yes I do, I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve."

"Well I can't wait to see them."

"I hope so."

"Don't think like that, oh dear! I'm over the time, it's Ajax's turn! He's going to be so angry!"

"Why?" I ask.

"He hates it when people are late."

"Oh then I guess we should hurry."

"No, no dear, it's fine. This was my fault. You can put your towel back." Lilith grabs her things and then she opens the door. Once Lilith opens the door, Ajax is already outside and he looks like he has been waiting for ages.

"Well, it's about time." he says.

"So sorry Ajax." Lilith says.

"You did this last year and the year before."

"You know how I am."

"And you know how I am!" Ajax exclaims so loud that his face turns red. This is going to be fun. I think sarcastically. Ajax turns around, I excepted and grouchy man, he smiles like the conversation between him and Lilith never existed. "Hello little tribute. So you were the lucky one!"

"Not really. Do you even see the reaping?" I say.

"Oh come on, at least you're here in the Capitol with all the food you can have, for a couple of days, and not starving back home at District 10!" Ajax says happily. Well, he is right but I liked it back home. I also do miss my family. "Well then, let's start!"

"What are you going to do to my nails?" I kindly ask.

"Well we can't paint your nails until the interviews so I'll just file them to look nice and I can give you a nice shine on your nails. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great. So how long have you been doing nails?"

"For so long that I was doing it when Orford won."

"Did you walk up on stage?"

"No, since I only do the female tributes but at least I can show my artistic skills on their nails."

"If you loved art so much, then why didn't you become a painter?"

"Well, I wanted to," Ajax says while filing my cracked and snapped nails. "but when I found out about the opening for this job, I quickly signed up. When I was qualified, I quickly started working."

"Did you quit school?"

"Yes, this job gives me a good amount of money and I thought I was great. About thirty years later, I'm still here so I guess I am fine." Ajax grabs a bottle of clear nail polish and starts to put it on my nails. I then here a knock on the door. "Come in Justice." Then the pink woman comes in with a nice smile.

"What's happening?" I ask in concern.

"Since Lilith took so long, Ajax and I have to work together, like last year and the year before." answers Justice.

"Wait Justice you can have her all to yourself but let me just finish with her." Ajax then puts nail polish on my last nail. "Finished! Nice meeting you Ginger!" Ajax then packs his things and leaves the room.

"Well finally he left." Justice sighs.

"Why are there four of you instead of three?" I ask.

"Well so see that sweet girl over there?" Justice says while pointing to Lilith.

"Lilith?" I ask.

"Yes, she was my apprentice. I taught her how to remove hair four years ago. Then right when I finished teaching her, I found out that the place that Lilith wanted was already taken. So then I asked for her to stay with me and that is why there are four of us."

"Oh because I usually only saw three."

"I don't know why I am really here; I mean I can't put any makeup on you. Oh! Lilith missed a spot." Justice then takes some tweezers and pulls out the hair in my face. "Well my work here is done, well until the interview. See you soon!" Justice says as she leaves the room. "Oh and put on this dress." Justice gives me the dress, which looks like the one that she is wearing.

"Okay." I answer uncertain. When all four of them are finished with me, feel like ten layers of my skin is gone. I then wait in a room for about ten long minutes. Then my stylist comes in. There is a male stylist for a female tribute and a female stylist for a male tribute.

"Hello." he says. I am just staring at him like he is an alien. "I am not the type of stylist that examines the tributes so we can just talk about the plans for the Games." Thank you. I think I got the best prep team and stylist in all of Panem. I sit down on the table that I lied down on earlier. "I sometimes think that the Capitol is wacky and yet I have orange hair." I start laughing and then cracking up. He finally introduces himself,

"I am Maximus, your stylist for the Games." he says. Just like the others because of his orange hair on the tips of his black hair. He looks average height black eyes and tannish skin. "Sabrina is Steven's designer." Maximus says. I can see Sabrina rushing down the hall into Steven's room. Sabrina is tall, has light brown hair, black eyes and has light skin. Her hair has purple streaks in it. Sabrina has a brown dress, just like Maximus except he has pants and a shirt. Maximus keeps on talking "You're from District...?"

"10, I am from District 10, Livestock." I blurt out. This is the first time he hears me speak and Maximus is surprised.

"That was a joke, I then wouldn't know what to give you!" he says and starts to laugh.

"Oh sorry." I say and my face is turning red in embarrassment.

"It's okay; I know that you are nervous. Here is what Sabrina and I were thinking about for the Tribute Parade." He shows me a sketch of the costumes. Hunters, we will be dressing up as hunters. Everything is in black. There is a black bow but clear arrows, leather jacket, and pants and boots. I like it but it brings back so many memories. It reminds me about when Gael and I used to hunt with each other. Then all of the hunters would hate it when the Peacekeepers would take our food, is why some of the hunters, butchers and other people worked together to but the poisoning into the meat. That is also why I am here so young.

"Can we keep the bows?" I ask as a joke.

"I wish you could, Ginger, I wish you could." Maximus says seriously. "Let's get you ready for the Tribute Parade." he says with a smile.

"Okay." I answer with a bigger smile back. He then leads me to the changing room.

 ** _Here you met some new characters and saw personalities. I tried to give each character some Capitol look, especially Justice with her pink skin. Some had a pretty obvious Capitol look while others really didn't, like Hestia_** ** _and her purple streaks of hair._**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Now the preparing is done. Ginger now must learn how to act like a Capitol person to get sponsors. Basically now the Tribute Parade is starting!_**

When I get out of the changing room, I see Steven with the same outfit as me. I do not see any of the other tributes so I guess I'll have to wait until the Tribute Parade starts. I haven't really heard Steven talk so I was going to ask him a question but the Maximus just barges in.

"Here are your arrow holders." says Maximus. Just like everything else, the arrow holder is black. Then I notice that on the back of the holder, the symbol of our district, Livestock, is in silver.

"I like the symbol." says Steven.

"Me too, I think that it is a great touch to the holder." I say.

Maximus then answers, "I didn't want you to forget about your district. Come this way please." Maximus then leads us to a hall. When we enter it, I see all the other tributes and their costumes.

Luxury, District 1, the tributes were dressed up as kings and queens. Masonry, District 2, it was so obvious to see them dressed up as Peacekeepers. Technology, District 3, computer parts. Fishing, District 4 was fishers. Power, District 5, I don't really know what their stylist was planning but all the Nina and Isaac wore were yellow suits. Transportation, District 6, both of the tributes were train conductors. Lumber, District 7 were dressed up as lumberjacks. Textiles, District 8 tributes were dressed up as nothing really. Paige and burton just had different colors of fabric on their outfits. Grain, District 9 tributes were just normal harvesters. Agriculture, District 11 tributes wore a jumpsuit with plants all over them. Coal, District 12 were just simple miners.

The designers are putting their final touches before we go on our chariots. The chariots are black with each tributes district number and symbol. They are usually driven by two black horses and both tributes ride the same chariot.

Steven and I get on our chariot. I hear Caesar Flickerman's voice already, the host of the Tribute Parade, Interviews and the Victor's Interview.

"It's already the 73rd Annual Hunger Games!" he booms. Then the crowd goes wild, since it is not their children that will fight to the death. "Here are this year's tributes! I know the some of you are dying just to get a peak of the tributes!" Then we start the parade with District 1, 2, 3 and so on. While the chariots are ridding, Caesar usually gives complements on the tributes' costumes.

"Let's see what we have this year! District 1, kings and queens, I like it. It really brings out the district's industry. Everything is so put together, the cape, the crown, the dress, I love it! District 2 tributes are Peacekeepers. Don't you think that they would make great Peacekeepers Claudius?"

"Yes, I love that the costumes also have false guns and weapons. I think that then also guns really bring out the Peacekeeper in them. Just look how they are acting and waving it the crowd. It's just beautiful, just like real Peacekeepers."

"Oh just look at District 3, their dressed up as computer pieces! Their stylist was thinking inside the computer box! Get it?"

"No, what are you thinking; your sci-fi jokes are never funny!"

"Yes that is why I became a host not a comedian! Well now District 4, there are fishers! With the fishing rod and all, all they need is some water!"

"Yes that is true, I have water but it's not made for fishing but for drinking." Claudius says.

"Yes I wish I had fish now. District 5 wow, District 5! Their outfits are so bright that I can barely see a thing!"

"Yes but I find it so nice even though their outfits-"

"That they glow like light!"

"Yes that I what I was going to say!"

"Yes I stole the words right out of your mouth!"

"Of course you did, Caesar!"

"District 6 tributes are dressed up as train conductors!"

"I get it, since they make trains!"

"Yes do love the trains that they make. The trains are so fast and brilliantly crafted by the people of District 6! Oh lumberjacks at District 7! I just love how the stylists look at the industry of the district and then they turn it into clothes!"

"Yes sometimes it takes time for the stylists to finally come up with an outfit. I heard that it can even take up to a year for the stylists to finally come up with the perfect outfit."

"Yes, it does take a while." Caesar says. "But just look at District 7 I love the axes and everything. As long as the axes are fake, I'm fine with it!" Caesar and Claudius chuckle.

"So do I! Look at all the colors on District 8!"

"Ah yes the textiles district! All of the outfits that we are wearing could be from the fabric of District 8. I love all the colors it shows all the colors that District 8 can make. Do you see these bright colors that we all have, Claudius?"

"Why, yes I do."

"They came from District 8! Now let's take a look at District 9, oh look little scarecrows. I get it!"

"I don't, would you mind explaining it to me?"

"Of course Claudius! District 9 puts scarecrows in their field to scare away animals from the grain and wheat."

"I find that a great idea." Now it is District 10's turn. I remember seeing Buck in the same place as Steven except he was dressed up as a bull. Now my district is seeing me. This is the first time my family is seeing me ever since the reaping.

"Just wave and have fun." Maximus says. "It's not a big deal." Then our chariot starts to move, when it did I nearly feel off.

"Just be yourself!" yells Maximus. I wave to the people of the Capitol. Hopefully I will get sponsors.

"Wow look at District 10!" Claudius exclaims.

"Yes, they are hunters for the meat which make the strong children of Panem." The only children that are strong are the children of the Capitol. I think. "Ah the bow and the arrows are so nice and detailed. Even the horses that are ridding all of the chariots are from District 10!"

"Yes they deserve something for giving us all of the good meat!"

"Yes well they did get something." Caesar says in a stern voice. I smile and wave to the crowd, just like Steven and the others.

"Look at District 11; they're dressed up as plants!" Claudius says in joy.

"Yes, we all know that your favorite district is District 11 but I do have to give credit to the stylist. I love how everything is so detailed!"

"Looks like we are at our last district!"

"Wow Claudius, the Tribute Parade goes by so fast soon the Games will be over! Look at District 12, coal miners! They are even covered with some soot and cinder to look like they were really working!"

"Yes I love it too Caesar!"

"Well we have already seen all of the tributes in their costumes, now who will be the victor, that's my question."

"I guess that we will find out in a couple of weeks!" says Claudius. Then when all the chariots had a little ride, we line up with each other. Then President Snow gives us a speech about why we are here. Then that's it we are done.

"I can't wait to leave from this place." I whisper under my breath. I then look at Steven and jump I fear.

"Neither can I." Steven whispers back.

"Welcome tributes of the 73rd Annual Hunger Games. We welcome you to the Capitol. We solute you of your courage, honor, pride and sacrifice. Thank you for being in this year's Hunger Games!" The crowd is going wild. Well some of us didn't have a choice to come here or not. "And may the odds be ever in your favor." Then the chariots leave the line and they go to another room.

"How did we do?" asks Steven.

"You did great." Orford tells us. "Now let's get ready for the Training Center."

"We have to go somewhere else?" I ask.

"Yes, you guys do."

"But don't we see our homes?" asks Steven.

"No, that's after the first day of the Training Center." Steven and I sigh and follow Orford. We then walk into a room.

 ** _Now that the parade is over, let's get to the real training!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**This is one of my favorite chapters before the Games start. In this chapter you will be meeting some new characters and will be finding out some more information about some character that you already have met.**_

We all change into our outfits. Black pants and a short sleeve shirt. On the back and sleeves, the shirts have our district number. They also have some red and gray on it. The Training Center is where I will be training for the next three days. Then on the fourth day we will all be examined and given a number from 1-12, with 12 being the best.

"The Training Center fun, it's where you make friends!" Daphne shrieks as we are on the train to go to the Training Center.

"It where we make friends to kill." I say.

"Also our friends could help us." Steven says.

"Yes both of those things are true, so just have fun." Daphne reminds us.

"Don't worry about anything," Orford starts. "as long as you don't start conflict with other tributes, you'll be fine."

"What happens if you do?" Steven asks.

"Well then the Peacekeepers would probably separate you guys and then that's it."

"Then what's so dangerous about that?" I ask.

"Oh the danger is not at the Training Center, it's in the Cornucopia. The tribute will follow you and then try to kill you, that is if you kill him first." he warns.

"So how do we avoid conflict?" asks Steven.

"Well if someone disagrees with you, then pretend to agree with them. What do you think I did? My allies were not the brightest and were very annoying, that's why I won. I pretend to be dumb when I really wasn't." Orford answers.

"What if someone bothers you, on purpose?" I ask.

"Then you ignore them, it's not that hard." he answers.

"Well it doesn't seem that hard." I reply.

"That's because it isn't."

"What about weapons?" Steven asks.

"Well, you can choose your weapon and then show off your skills. You need to show both all the tributes and the Gamemakers enough skills to make you look tough and to get you a good score. Don't show them everything; you want to surprise the Gamemakers, which is if you guys survive the Cornucopia."

"Well that's helpful." Steven answers sarcastically.

"It actually is. That's what kept me alive."

"But your Games were different." I say.

"True, but you never know." answers Orford.

"We are here at last at the Training Center!" Daphne says. Once I get to the Training Center, I see all of the other tributes and I also see this lady, I think her name is Atala; she has dark skin, hair and eyes.

"This is where you will train for the next three days. Not all of you will die from weapons. Some from famine, dehydration, infection and reactions. You have four grouped assignments but then everything else is by yourselves. Remember there is no fighting or conflict between you or any of the tributes, which is why there is arena. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor." she says.

Right after Atala's speech a worker escorts us to start the group training. We then go into a big line to choose our weapon and then to show off our skills. After we are finished we must then sit down and wait for the tributes to finish so we can move on to the next assignment. There is an order for each assignment, youngest to oldest, which means that I'm first. I then choose my weapon, throwing knives. I had experience with Gael back home; he used to train me before I even learned how to hunt with them. I walk up to the throwing knives to pick them up. Instead I drop them in the floor embarrassing myself. Everyone is laughing expected for Paige and Miller. I don't need to care. I pick them up and I move to the spot. There are manikins; the one that is lit is the one I must hit.

"Ha! She can't even pick up the knives. I bet she can't even throw them." says Nolan. Everyone laughs harder. I have had enough so I start hitting. Once I see a manikin lit I hit either the chest or head area. The laughing gets quieter and quieter. At first the targets are close but then the get further and further. The last one is far but I still hit it. When I am finished, I take out all the other knives and leave to sit down.

After everyone showed their skills, we go to the next assignment. We stand in the same line order. I see these table like structures in different sizes. There are two rows of five and in the middle there are two workers with batons to hit you with.

I then get up to start running. This is just like running in the woods will a lot of rocks and tree branches. I think. I go in the first table to start running. I try to dodge the batons on the first row. I jump and run to each table but a worker hits me once on the leg, hard. I then run to the end of the table to see a big giant table to go to the next row. I go to the next row and then a baton hits my arm and I nearly fall off. When I leave the tables I see Nolan and he just snickers. I'm must wait for all of the tributes to finish then I hear the leftover tributes laughing. I bet up and then I look to see what was happening. Gadge fell on the floor, I'm guessing because of her leg. Gadge then gets up in embarrassment and tries to keep on running.

Then there was climbing skills, something I am not that good at. There are rings to hold on to and you must then go to different circles and cross the whole thing. Of course I am first. I have to first climb a ladder to get to the rings and I try to hold on. I almost fall but since I was holding on to the rings, I didn't. I then put my other hand to another ring and I start to climb. Once I'm in the middle of climbing, my hands start to burn, I am becoming weaker and my hands are getting sweaty. I try to climb faster and I finish just in time. I get off and then I look at my hands, red burns. Every time I touch my hands, they burn. I then wait for everyone else to finish.

Then it's finally the last assignment. Group fighting and even worse it's with your district partner.

"I'll go easy on you." says Steven.

"No, you don't need to; I'm one of the hunters." I say.

"Are you sure, I don't want to hurt you."

"Don't make me look weak and don't treat me like a child." Even though that is exactly what I am. All twenty-four of us fight at the same time except there are giant pedestals. We start fighting, with big staffs. We stop fighting until one of us fall on the floor. Steven then tries to hit me but I block him. This goes one for about a while until I try to push Steven and he falls. I then look at him.

"What you told me not to make you look weak." he says. I still give him a cold look.

I watch the other tributes throughout all four group assignments, the Careers are the best and Steven is fine as well.

Gadge struggles because of her leg. Miller and Paige are pretty good for their age. Carter is pretty good but he misses a couple of times. Lumen is better in technology while Spud is strong and dangerous. Nina and Isaac are one of the weakest just like Amber and Jack, although Isaac can run pretty fast. Casey is a fast runner but has trouble dogging. Burton has a good strong grip on things and it will take some strength to make him let go of anything. Arley on the other hand is good at hiding and will grab anything that she can get. Steven is tough but I noticed that before he strikes an opponent, he takes a step forward. Willow is not that fast of a runner but she has some tricks up her sleeve. Charity and Cole are weak so they will need someone tough like Spud or Steven.

When everyone else is done, that is when the allies start to form. Diamond, Mace, Alexis, Nolan, Brooke and Roman are together. Jack and Amber are a group. Carter, Casey, Nina and Isaac are another group. Then there's Cole, Charity and Steven. The last group is Paige and Miller. No one has asked me anything yet. I don't know why, I mean I showed them that I am good. I guess I am going solo for the Games. I go to the nature section and I see berries. I take a bunch and I start to squish them until there is a paint like substance. I then find a tree and dip my fingers into the paint and paint the livestock symbol. I make a fire and learn how to purify water.

"Did you take my scythe?" asked Willow.

"No I didn't." answers Lumen. Now I leave the nature section to see what is happening.

"That is the exactly the same one I had!"

"Willow, we both have a scythe." Lumen says in slower than before.

"That is it!" yells Willow. She pushes Lumen to the ground and before he can get up, Peacekeepers take Willow away. "I'm going to get you for this!" she yells. When Willow is out of sight, Lumen pulls out a second scythe, Willow's scythe. I then go back to the nature center and I stay there until Daphne comes to pick us up. She then tells Steven and me about the housing part of the Training Center.

"It's simple to get here. Just press the number of your district. So, 10, which is the tenth floor." So Daphne presses the button and in a flash, we are on the tenth floor. All of the tributes' rooms are the same but they are so beautiful. I go to the left and Steven goes to the right. When I go inside I can hear Daphne say,

"Now you tributes don't come out until dinner is ready!" Oh Capitol food! I've only tasted it in the train but it must be better and fresher. When I walk inside the room, there is an entire wall made out of glass, a big bed all for myself and a bathroom. I shower, when I leave the shower, I smell like roses. Then the moment I have been waiting for, I lie down on the bed.

"It's dinner time!" Daphne says. I almost fell off my bed when she said that. When Steven and I get to the table, everyone is already there, Ajax, Hestia, Lilith, Justice, Orford, Maximus, Sabrina and Daphne. Steven and I sit on each side of Orford. We all eat a well done turkey, potatoes and this green Capitol juice.

"Alright, did you already make allies?" asks Orford.

"Yes." says Steven. I stay quiet and keep on eating.

"Ginger, what about you?" Orford asks nicely.

"No, but I learned how to make paint, fire and purify water." I answer.

"Okay, Steven." Orford thinks for a while. "You are going to do what Ginger did. Ginger, you are going to find allies and do what you did today again. Oh and on more thing, if you are not going to be together, then don't work together." We are about to leave but then Orford calls me. "Ginger come over here, please."

"Yes Orford?" I ask.

"Good luck with finding allies, wait for them to come to you."

"Okay." I then walk to my room, go to the bed and then sleep with comfort.

"Up! Up! Up! It's a new, new day!" says Daphne. So I fix my hair shower and brush my teeth. Then we all eat breakfast, eggs, pancakes, sausage, and bacon. Before Steven and I leave, Orford says,

"Good luck." I go to the Training Center and then Paige and Miller walk up to me about five minutes later.

"Hi, would you like to be our ally?" asks Paige.

"Sure, of course! I was waiting for someone to ask me that question." I answer. When I answered, they both looked relieved.

"We wanted you to be our ally so bad, we thought someone else asked you." answered Miller.

"Look, I have learned many things, let me show you them." I say. Then I show them everything that I have learned for the next day. "Let's start with making paint."

"What do you need?" asks Paige.

"Well first you need to find berries with a dark juice color." I say while holding the berries in my hand. "Then you will need something to squish them with."

"So what should we use?" asks Paige.

"Well, I been using my hands but we can't use that in the arena." I say.

"What about a branch?" Paige suggests.

"No too skinny." I reply.

"What about the bottom of our weapons?" Miller asks. Paige and I look at each other puzzled.

"Wouldn't that make the juice dirty?" asks Paige.

"Well it depends where we are." I say.

"That doesn't matter, if we're not going to drink it, then why should we care?" Miller says.

"True, so we'll use it in the arena." I say.

"If there are berries." says Paige.

"What else did you learn?" asks Miller.

"I also learned how to purify water. Just put the water over a fire and that's it. That is what I used to do back home."

"Seems simple enough." says Miller.

"But we can't make a big fire or else we could get caught." says Paige.

"So we'll make a small fire to boil water and if we have food it will take longer. I'd rather be safe than sorry." I say.

"Me too." says Paige.

"Fine." sighs Miller.

"So how do you make a fire?" asks Paige.

"You take two sticks and you rub them together fast to start smoke." I rub my hands faster then I see smoke coming out. "Then there's fire." We all jump back.

"How to you put it out?" asks Miller.

"You step on it." I say. I then get up and step on the fire until it stops burning. "Just be careful that the fire doesn't go on your clothes."

"Thanks, Ginger." says Paige.

"We'll see you at the arena." says Miller.

"You're welcome and I'll see you too!" Hopefully. I think. We then all leave the nature area and go to our escorts.

"Now it is time to teach you some manners." Daphne says once we are at the house.

"For what?" I ask.

"For the interview of course!" she exclaimed.

"All we need to do is smile and act pretty, right?" asks Steven. "That's what they do every year."

"No, no! Not at all! There is so much more than that!" Daphne exclaims.

"When will you teach us?" I ask.

"The interviews are just a couple of days away so what about after dinner?" Steven and I stay quiet. "I'll take that as a yes." I try to eat as slow as possible but after being in the Training Center all day, it's kind of hard to eat slowly.

"Well you are both finally finished!" Daphne exclaims happily. When I look around, all I see is Steven, Daphne and I. "Well let's get going!" Daphne then leads us to the living room. "Let's first start off with posture. Line up here. I have never seen posture like this before." Daphne says as she is behind us.

"Sorry, I'm too busy working back home." Steven says.

"I'm too busy hunting for both my family and the Capitol." I add. Daphne then comes in front of us.

"I know that you guys don't like the Capitol and all but for the interviews, you must pretend to adore it. Now sit up as straight as possible." Steven and I sit down. "Okay, I think this needs to be one on one."

"I'll go first." I say.

"Great our first volunteer!" Daphne says. I give her a cold stone hearted look. "Sorry Ginger, just a habit. Okay then now let's see what we can do here." She then straightens my back as staging as possible.

"Oww! How straight do I need to be?" I say.

"As straight as you can go." Daphne answers.

"Well that as straight as I can go." I say.

"Okay now let's work on your position. Sit up straight and put on of your legs on top of one another. Also do that with your hands." I go in the position that she says which makes me feel like a puppet. "Perfect!" Daphne shrieks and then I jump in fear. "Oh and smile! There we go that's nice. Okay Ginger, you're done. Now it's your turn Steven. Okay now let's sit up straight and fold your hands but not that tight. Grin and open your legs a bit, you don't need to sit so close. Perfect! Don't worry; you'll both be fine, as long as you say good things about the Games and the Capitol. Go and get some rest." I go back to the room with some sore muscles and then I sleep like a baby. I then wake up and go to the Training Center for the last time.

When we arrive at the Training Center I see lots of little stations and manikins, one for each weapon. Today we have to focus on our weapons and there must be no contact with the tributes, that is unless you share the station. We are practicing for tomorrow. Since there is no one else with throwing knives, I have the booth all to myself. Today is different, for my weapon, the manikins move and stay still, just like real people. I practice all day and I only miss once, which I really hope that it won't happen tomorrow. Then after one long day of training, Daphne comes to pick Steven and me up.

"Well as you both know tomorrow is very important so you both need to fall asleep as soon as possible."

"But-" I start.

"What-" Steven starts.

"No questions asked." Daphne says sternly. We then eat dinner and sleep.

I hear a knock on Steven's door and then I hear it on my door. "Come on guys time to wake up, I'm sparing you from some screeching." Orford says. I then get up, eat and it's off to the Training Center.

Now this is the day that I will show the Gamemakers what I've got. We sit in the order of our districts. The male tribute goes first then it's the female's turn.

"So who visited you when we had to leave?" Steven asks me.

"My family, that's it, no one else." I answer sadly. "What about you?" I say in a happier tone.

"Just one family."

"Oh okay so what do you think that arena is going to be like?"

"Well maybe a forest or a rain forest to have floods and fires."

"The more entertainment the worst it is for us."

"No, not always. We all have our hidden talents."

"Yes well you're right." I say while playing with my bracelet.

"I like your bracelet."

"Thanks, it is my token for the Games. My brother took me to Auntie and then she made it for me. Do you have one?"

"No, I had no one to go to or no one to get something from."

"I have never seen you around from where I live, where are you from?"

"I am from the edge of the district, the one that is the furthest from the Capitol, what about you?"

"I am from the close edge of the district I live about five miles from the Reaping Center."

"Not me I had to go with a group and walk my way."

"All of it?"

"No the Capitol gives some trains with very high security."

"I was a hunter, what were you?"

"I was a rancher."

"Was it fun?"

"No not at all. That's basically my life." He says smiling. I smile back. Then they call Steven's name.

"Good luck." I say.

"Good luck to you the as well." Steven says right before he leaves.

I then wait for about ten minutes and then my name is called. When it is my turn, I throw the knives the best I can, I only missed once but I did highly good for my age. Our scores will be broadcasted tonight.

"Come, come. Everything needs to be perfect for when to scores are presented." says Daphne.

"Let's go Daphne, the scores are almost up." says Orford while he turns on the television.

"Oh, it's on!" says Daphne.

"Okay now let's see how our tributes did!" The Careers all had high scores; either a nine or a ten then everyone else got mid number. Surprisingly I got a nine. Steven a ten and Spud got a ten as well. Usually only the Careers only have high scores. I don't let that bother me. I start to wonder how my family feels about my score. Everyone is cheering and clapping because of our scores.

"Excellent, I guess Orford actually taught you something." Daphne says.

"Yes I did. Well congratulations! I can't wait to see what will happen in the Games." Orford says. We then must fall asleep extra early, again for the interviews.

 _ **Now you guys have seen some of the characters real personalities. Some of these characters will stay for awhile while others will be killed off in the first couple of days in the Games.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Now we are at the interviews. I was not going to make a different interview for each tribute so i just gave you an overview of their interviews. Hope you like it!**_

Today Daphne wakes us up earlier than ever. I guess is since we have to get dress and makeup. The Capitol is so much brighter than the districts. When I went to the breakfast table, I had the same breakfast, eggs, sausage, pancakes and a green Capitol drink.

"Good morning." I say. Once Steven and I get to the table, Sabrina and Maximus stat to talk about the interview outfits. I'll just be wearing a regular blue dress and Steven a gray blazer.

My whole prep team leads me into a room and fix me up again. I get my hair washed and done, my nails painted and they even get polished. It's amazing how perfect Ajax wants my nails to be. I couldn't even move while he was painting them in fear that he would yell at me. He was so strict on what to do while he was painting my nails.

"Don't move an inch or you'll damage them!" or "No! No! No! Don't touch my apple, you can handle a while without eating, you're fine! Now come over here so I can finish painting you're nails!" I was so happy when he left the room so I could put my clothes on.

For the interviews, the female tribute goes first and then the male tribute goes. This year Caesar's hair is green and he is wearing a midnight blue suit with little light bulbs.

The interviews are almost going to start but first when have to wait in line for the Capitol to add the final touches. I see Miller right in front of me so I decide to talk to him.

"Are you nervous?" I ask Miller.

"Yes, of course. I haven't seen my family in so long but they have been watching me all this time, the parade, the scores, everything." Miller answers.

"Yes, I wish I could see my family."

"Me too. How is District 10?"

"It's nice; mostly farmland but my family never owned a farm. I was one of the hunters."

"Is that why you did so good in the examination?"

"Yes. What about you, how is District 9?"

"It's nice, I like it. There are wheat and grain fields."

"What do you make?"

"Well I make bread and other pastries, that's all I can make. What about you?"

"I make stew and any food with meat, except for fish, that's District 4. The Capitol says that District 10 gives meat which raises the healthy children of Panem, more like the healthy children of the Capitol."

"That's so true, the same with the other districts, I wish someone would just stand up to the Capitol." Miller whispers.

"I'm a hunter, what are you?"

"I am a harvester."

"All I really care is if I last the first day in the Games."

"Me too, it is really tough just to get things from the Cornucopia."

"I wish it was like the first Hunger Games, no deaths, they were lucky."

"Yes but the Games were new to the districts, now it is a death sentence, well for most of us."

"True, well good luck on your interview." I say as I see Caesar walking up to the stage.

"You too." Miller says smiling.

"Hello citizens of the Capitol! It's already that time of year, the Hunger Games!" Caesar booms. The crowd is going crazy. "Let's see what our tributes, of many different ages, have to say." Then the interviews start. Diamond and Mace just show off about their skills. Alexis just talks about weapons while Nolan tries to show off. Gadge talks about her sister and Lumen, I can't really say that much stuff about him. He may be a mischievous person be he is a real nerd. Brooke, she just talks about domination and other types of stuff that I can't remember. Roman just complains on how no one volunteered for him since he is not that old, maybe two or three years older than me. Both Nina and Isaac are in "love" with the Capitol when I know that they really aren't. Casey, I don't really know what to say about her, she has no talent. The there's Carter, who rarely speaks to Caesar. Amber has a way to convince everyone that she is the victor while Jack is a big grammar corrector. Paige who is so nice and sweet but then Burton comes along and is the complete opposite. Arely acts okay on the outside but in the inside I know that she tries to answer Caesar's question without tearing up. Miller is young but reasonably smart for someone his age. Then there's me.

A guard leads me to a small staircase with lights. I wait for my name to be called. My heart is racing. "And now for our youngest tribute, Ginger from District 10!" I walk up the staircase and see the giant crowd but that's not all. Everyone in all of Panem is watching me, including my family. "How do you feel Ginger?"

"I am excited to be here." I say.

"That's great! Now does a little girl like you have any power, I'm sure you do!"

"Yes, I think I'm fine, considering my age."

"Can we see some of your tricks here?"

"That's for you guys to watch during the Games."

"That's what I like to hear, some secretive stuff! Now, I don't meant to get personal but how did you feel when your name was called?" I blank out. I start looking my bracelet and remembering every detail of the horrid moment. "Ginger, are you okay?" asks Caesar in concern.

"Oh yes. Sorry. I-I felt like my whole world fell apart."

"Good luck. Ginger, District 10!" I leave the stage and go to the back where I could see all of the other tribute's interviews. _At least I go that over with._ I think. "Let's give a warm welcome to Steven!" Steven gets up on stage and waves to the crowd.

"I see a very positive and happy man, are you happy enough to love the Capitol?"

"Of course! I like everything, what's not to like!"

"That's amazing! I just love to hear people love the Capitol, don't you?" I can hear the crowd mumbling in agreement.

"Do you have any hidden talents?"

"I am strong and smart so yes."

"What are you going to do to stay alive as long as possible?"

"Anything I need to do."

"Well, we will see what that means tomorrow! Steven, District 10!" Then the rest of the districts pass. Willow just talks about how she got her name. None of the tributes seem like a threat until Spud comes on; he is as strong as they get someone else to watch out for. Charity is sweet and fragile while Cole has nothing to talk about so Caesar had to ask him some random questions. Then the interviews end.

"Good night! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Caesar yells when all the interviews are over. All of the tributes go to their escort, mentor, prep team and stylists. Daphne tells us,

"You were great!"

"I loved every minute of it." says Maximus.

"Couldn't have done it better myself." says Hestia.

"Let's go and celebrate!" says Sabrina. We go to the house and have a big feast. Talking about feelings, and having fun. It is about eight in the night when Daphne tells us.

"Steven and Ginger, it's time to fall asleep now. Tomorrow is the Games!" When Daphne says it, my heart stops. It has a different ring to it. I go to bed but it takes me forever to sleep. Waking up, nightmares of my own death, some crying until I finally fall asleep. I don't want to wake up tomorrow.

 _ **Finally! We are at the last chapter before the Games start! I am so happy for the Cornucopia scene and I can't wait! So here you also found out about some of the characters personalities. It may not be much information now but is will (hopefully) come together throughout the whole story.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**The Games have finally begun! In the start of each chapter I will tell you how many tributes are dead and how many are alive.**_

 _ **Dead: 0**_

 _ **Alive: 24**_

 _ **May the odds be ever in your favor!**_

It was so hard to sleep yesterday and now to wake up, it's going to be the hardest thing I've done. Eventually I do but it was hard, I get up half way, sitting down and staring at the wall. I brush my teeth, shower and do my hair. I'm waiting for Daphne to barge in and wake me up but I haven't even heard her voice today. I get out of the room and I bump into Steven.

"Why didn't you wake us up today?" asks Steven once we are into the dining table.

"Well," Daphne answers sadly, "today is you're last day here, so I thought that you would enjoy it. Also over experience, I've learned that the tributes are too nervous to sleep in." She got the last part right.

"Oh, okay, well, then thank you Daphne." answers Steven. Once the food is ready I grab a plate and try to get as much food as possible because in a couple of hours, I'll be fighting to the death. Which is about two weeks, that is if I last that long. My plate and fork are shaking crazy.

"Are you okay dear?" asks Daphne.

"No." I reply. I wanted to tell her that she's crazy but I just give her a nice answer. "I'm just very nervous."

"You don't have to be. You got that beautiful 9, how did you get it?"

"Throwing knives." I now need to know Steven's real weapon. I was moving around so much at the Training Center that I forgot all about Steven. At least I saw his weapon just none of his hidden talents. "What about you Steven?" I ask.

"I just used spears." he answers.

After we finished eating, we had to leave to put on our outfits for the Games. I have a black short sleeve shirt, green pants with pockets and black boots. Then Orford picks us up and takes us to the hovercraft.

"I may never see you again, but I just wanted you guys to know that I will miss you." Orford says before we go into the hovercraft. When we do go into the hovercraft, a lady in a white suit, that covers everything including her face, puts a tracker in all of our arms. The Capitol does this so no one can escape. That is the same reason why there is a force field around the whole arena, which will kill anything that bumps into it. After about half an hour after the ride starts, the hovercraft gets dark, the Capitol doesn't want anyone to see it, including us.

When the hovercraft ride is done, we get off it and go into The Launch Room. Inside each if the rooms is the stylist of each tribute. Inside my room are Maximus and the tube that will send me to the Cornucopia. He then gives me a gray jacket, the darker the color, the poorer your district.

"The Gamemakers said that you can wear this," Maximus says while handing me a bracelet. I was so nervous that I didn't even notice that it was gone. "Good luck."

"I'm scared." I say in fear.

"It's okay, anytime you are scared, just look at your bracelet and think that you'll be safe." Maximus says while trying to calm me down.

He then puts me into a tube and I'm gone. I can't cry now because then other tributes will think I am weaker than I already am. Don't worry, I think. The start of the Bloodbath is just fighting until someone has the gut to kill someone, then that's when the real action starts. In about a minute, I can see the arena. It looks just like the forests back home I can already imagine it, the citizens of the Capitol cheering and the districts in fear. My family must be worried sick because about half of us will die here today. Then I hear Claudius Templesmith, the announcer of the Hunger Games, saying,

"May the 73rd Annual Hunger Games begin!" Then the one minute countdown begins. I look around to try and find Paige and Miller they are right next to each other while I am on the other side of the Cornucopia. Paige looks like she was crying and Miller, scared to death. I see the Cornucopia, a giant golden horn with supplies, weapons and packs that can save your life. The further the item is from the Cornucopia, the less value it has. I can feel the pressure of my family to stay alive, my district to win and that most of the tributes want to kill me. I look around to see who is around me. To my left is Carter and to my right Burton. I have to be careful with those two. 10. 9. 8. 7. 5. 4. I try to find my throwing knives, nowhere to be seen. 3. 2. 1. 0.

I jump off my pedestal and start running as fast as I can, to the Cornucopia. I am half way to the Cornucopia and I find a pack. Gadge trips and falls on the floor with a pack in her hands. I then see Steven walking up to her and trying to steal her pack and then fighting over the pack. Then I catch Steven spearing her in the heart. I find a pack and I start looking through it, I only find a vest with four knives. There has to be more in the Cornucopia. I think. I get up and try to run but I am bump into Isaac. He has already gotten to the Cornucopia, he was one of the closest one there. Great the fastest tribute closest to the Cornucopia, what a perfect match. I think. He pushes me to the floor and has me pinned to the floor. Isaac then tries to hit me with his axe. I dogged to the right and kick Isaac right in his stomach. He loses his balance then I pin him to the floor and I grab one of the knives out of the vest. Isaac pushes me off and starts to run, with the vest. I then throw the throwing knife into Isaac's back. He then falls to the floor and dies. I run to Isaac, grab the vest out of his dead hands and the knife out of his back.

Alexis runs to Lumen and cuts his leg off but he is still alive and he screams in pain. Then Willow runs up to him and takes her scythe and kills him. I am still running and dogging past objects and crates. Paige and Miller are running for their lives. Jack is running out of the Cornucopia and then he accidentally bumps into Diamond. Jack falls onto the floor with a pack in his hands, Diamond takes out her scythe and she kills Jack. Roman grabs a pack and then hands it to Brooke. Brooke just grins and takes the pack away from him. Then I see Brooke taking her machete and killing him.

When I go to the Cornucopia, I can't find my throwing knives and I start freaking out. I turn around and then I find Casey is right behind me. Before she could even move, Steven grabs her and brings her into a corner before spearing her. I then see that the throwing knives are around the back. Before I can even grab them, Burton grabs me by the back of my jacket and pushes me to a crate, where everyone including my family can see me. He has his hands around my neck and bangs my head once to the crate as hard as he can. This is it, I'm gone. My mother must be crying, my father is silent and Gael screaming my name out. Burton then bangs my head again and is cutting off more of my air. I start screaming because that is all I can do. One of my hands is one his and the other is trying to find a nearby weapon. Then I feel it, a knife. It's not like one of my throwing knives, it's different. Sort of like a kukri knife. I grab it and then I stab one of Burton's hands. He yells in agony and run away for the Cornucopia. I then keep the knife and grab the pouch with the extra throwing knives.

I am just about to leave but then Mace comes and I panic. Steven gets out of the Cornucopia and then he joins Charity and Cole. Mace chased Willow into a corner before killing her with his trident. I then try to leave but Mace is stabbing the air in my direction. I then duck almost fall and run out of the Cornucopia. As I run out, Diamond runs in.

When I run outside and I find more fighting and deaths. I then spot Burton running around. I grab two knives and throw them, one into his leg and the other into his shoulder. He falls on the floor and starts to crawl. I run to him, with the knife in my hand, slash his forehead and he dies. I run to find more supplies. I spot Amber and Paige fighting over a sleeping bag. Then Nolan grabs Amber, with the pack, and drags her. Paige runs up to Amber steels the pack before Nolan kills her and then runs away. I can't chase after Paige since she is too far so I look for Miller. I run and then find him fighting with Arley for both a sleeping bag and a pack. Carter then steals the pack and Miller follows him. Arley tries to go too but Brooke stabs her with her machete. Miller then finds Paige and they both go into the Cornucopia. I was going to follow Paige and Miller back into the Cornucopia but then I spot Carter and I chase him. I try to steal the pack and the sleeping bag but he won't let go. I then take one of my throwing knives and throw it to his arm and another to his leg. Carter then drops the packs and falls on the floor. I take the packs and then I go back to get more supplies. Alexis is across the field and is doing the same thing that I'm doing, trying to stay alive. I look up to see if anyone is near and then I grab some bread and some berries that will only last a day.

I look at the Cornucopia and see that Paige injured Diamond and Miller injured Mace and grabbed his pack. I run back to around the entrance of the Cornucopia but I then hide. Spud and Nina are fighting over a tent but then Spud snapped her neck and runs. I find Paige and Miller get out of the Cornucopia and I get up to go with them. Then Nolan comes out of nowhere and punches me on my cheek, I fall to the ground of how powerful it is and he takes my packs. I'm not going down easy. I run after him and I try to get the packs back, it has some food as well. I grab it but Nolan keeps on pulling on it. I grab the knife and slash Nolan's face. He drops the packs and I run to Paige and Miller. He's not dead but when I see him again, he's going to be angry. We run to the forest panting and thanking that we are alive.

"What should-what happened to your cheek, its black." Miller asks once we are safe.

"Never mind that, we should find a tree." I say out of breath.

"I think that's a great plan." says Miller. Paige looks uncertain.

"Okay, well I think that it is better than hiding in bushes." she answers. We then hear the canons which means the Bloodbath is finally over. Each canon symbolizes that one tribute has been killed. I hear eleven that means that thirteen of us are alive. We walk for about an hour and then we find the perfect tree. When we are at the top, I start talking about the rest of the games.

"Look what I found." I show them the little loaf of bread and the berries. Their faces light up.

"Where did you find these?" asks Paige.

"In the Cornucopia. Here." I split the bread into three and give away some of the berries, just in case we don't find food tomorrow. "We need to find food and water, starting tomorrow. We already had enough for today."

"I'll get the food." says Miller.

"I'll get the water. What about you Ginger?" asks Paige.

"I'm going back to the Cornucopia. Did you guys kill anyone?" I ask.

"I only gave Mace a small cut on his leg and took his pack." says Miller.

"I cut Diamond on her face, I've could have killed her but she keep on moving." says Paige.

"What about you?" asks Miller.

"I killed Isaac then Burton. I also injured Carter and Nolan." They both looked shocked. Also sorry about Burton, he was choking me." I tell Paige.

"It's okay. I never knew him." answers Paige. We all have our jobs. I lived for the first day. My parents must be happy, and my brother relived. When the night comes the Capitol will show the pictures of the fallen tributes.

It's around dinner time back home but here we can't eat.

"What do you think we should do, stay in the same tree or find a new tree every single day?" I ask.

"We should only move if there is a threat or if there is no food or water." says Paige.

"But if there is a good amount of food then we should stay." says Miller.

"What about this, if there is a good amount of food then we can stay and make trails to lead people away from the food, like we did in the Training Center. If there is a threat then we will get a new nearby tree every day." I say.

"Sounds good. What about today's food?" asks Miller.

"I don't have anything just a couple of berries left." I say. "But I did see a sack of apples in the Cornucopia." I say.

"Then why don't you get them now?" asks Paige.

"No, I barely made it out of that place alive. I can go tomorrow." I say.

"That's a fair deal." says Miller.

"I suppose so and it was a long day for us." admits Paige.

"I-" Miller is cut off by the anthem.

The anthem finishes being played and then the symbol of the Capitol shows. All of us are quietly staring into the sky. Then the tribute that was killed will be shown along with its district number on the bottom and on the background. The tributes will be shown in order of their district. I see Gadge, Lumen, Roman, Nina, Isaac, Casey, Amber, Jack, Burton, Arley and Willow. Even though I didn't know then, it's sad that in the Training Center, these tributes were trying to master their weapons but they didn't even have enough time to touch it in the Cornucopia. District 3, 5 and 7's tributes are all dead so they have no hope of winning this year.

I remember when I used to watch the Hunger Games with Gael, my mother and father. Now I'm in the games. We sleep on the tree's branches and we are tied up with ropes that we found in our packs, so we won't fall. Then I sleep with the thought of my family and my home, District 10 in my head.

 _ **This was the first day if the Games. How was it? I am going to talk about each of the tributes that died, some more than others. So let's start off with Gadge. Gadge was a nice friendly girl that volunteered for her little sister to let her live for a while longer. The only reason that Gadge is dead is because of her leg, but trust me if I didn't make her have a bad leg then she would still be alive. Lumen was mischievous**_ _ **and that is the only reason he died. If he was smart enough not to take Willow's weapon then he would have lived. Roman just complained that he was too young and that the Games weren't for him, then Brooke comes along and kills him since she did not think that he was useful enough for the Career pack. Nina and Isaac were very similar**_ _ **to each other, nice friendly, sweet and "Capitol Lovers". The only difference**_ _ **between Isaac and Nina is that Isaac had a bad side to him. Casey was not really someone that you know, all she had was some secret skills and amazing camouflaging skills, you would have seen that if she lived. Amber may have convinced the Capitol that she is the best but she sure didn't convince Nolan not to kill him! Jack make have been a grammar corrector but he made a mistake to come into the Games! (Okay I'm done with that now.) Burton was strong and had a good grip on things, he could have been one of the last tributes standing but i wanted to show that small things have power to destroy big things. Arley was weak and had a lot of emotions kept inside of her, don't worry she has nothing to worry about now. Lastly there is Willow. Willow was the only tribute that killed someone and died. She was not the person to mess with. Sorry this was so long and I hope that you enjoy the rest of the Games!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Welcome back to day 2 of the Games!**_

 ** _Dead: 11_**

 ** _Alive: 13_**

All three of us wake up either with thirst, hunger or both. I untie my rope and give it to Paige.

"Why are you giving this to me?" asks Paige.

"Well, I can't be running with a rope." I say. She smiles and I smile back. We all eat a little bit of berries before we depart.

"I'm still hungry." says Miller. That is when we start separating. Paige goes to find a lake, to get water. Miller goes to get some more berries.

"Try to bring back food." begs Miller.

"Sure." I say, that is if I do come back. I start walking to the Cornucopia. I keep on walking; my feet are going to start hurting if I don't get there soon. After a while, I find the Cornucopia. There it is the place that could kill me. When I move a little closer I can see the sack of apples. I start running as fast as I can. Once I go inside I see something or someone. It's Nolan. Before I could run or even scream, he grabs me and he has his knife on my neck. He then gets out of the Cornucopia and starts speaking.

"Well look what we have here." Nolan says loud enough for everyone back home to hear.

"Let me go!" I beg. This must be breaking my family's heart.

"Well I can't do that. I have to give the Capitol a good show." He then takes his knife and cuts me on the side of my eyebrow. He is going to kill me nice and slowly for the Capitol to enjoy it but the Capitol not going to enjoy my death just yet. "Look at this poor little girl, she's not even twelve." He gives me a cut on my ear. "To bad your brother couldn't volunteer." How could he know that, how much did his mentors tell him about me? "It was nice meeting you, Ginger." He is going to cut my neck but then I shove my elbow into his stomach, he lets me go and falls to the ground, holding his stomach. I then run into the Cornucopia get the sack of apples. Nolan is coming straight at me and angrier then before. He tries to slit my throat but I smack him, with the sack of apples. He falls to the floor and I run away as fast as I can before Nolan gets up.

Could have been worse, I could have been killed or I could have not gotten the supplies. I walk to our site and find Paige.

"What happened-" I stop her by showing her the apples. Her face then lights up. "Wow, all of this? When you said that you saw a sack of apples, I didn't know that you meant a sack this big."

"Yes there are a lot of apples but I almost died getting them. Have you seen Miller?" I ask while stuffing the sack of apples into my pack.

"Nope he hasn't come back yet but I found water." She then takes me to a small lake and refills my bottle.

"Do you boil it yet?" I ask.

"Darn it! I forgot about that."

"Put the water in the bottle and then we'll boil it right here, let's start getting some firewood."

"Sure." Paige and I then start collecting firewood. When we do have enough, Paige and I put the branches and some leaves in a pile to make fire wood.

"I think that's enough." I say.

"Me too, okay let's start making the fire."

"I can rub the stick and you can hold the other one."

"Okay but don't burn me." Paige says seriously.

"Trust me I, I won't." I say in a promising voice. I then start rubbing the stick faster and faster until smoke comes. I still keep rubbing the two sticks together until the fire comes out. Paige and I then start to boil the water.

"Okay, I think that water is boiled enough." says Paige.

"Is the other bottle Miller's?" I ask.

"Yes, he gave it to me before he went to find some food."

"Well that's enough. I think I should step on the fire."

"Me too you don't-" Paige is cut off by a noise.

"Paige, we need to run."

"What about the fire?" Then a trident hits the ground, just a couple of feet away from us.

"Run!" I yell. Then the whole Career pack comes out.

"This is going to be just like killing Roman." Brooke says. Paige and I start running away. I put on my pack and I grab my bottle while Paige grabs both of the other bottles and run.

"Miller!" We start screaming. "Miller where are you?"

"I'm right here!" Miller says in a far distance. Paige and I keep on running and we're trying to follow Miller's voice.

"Miller!" I scream.

"Yes?" He says, we're only twenty feet away.

"Run!" I say.

"Wh-ahh!" He says once he sees the Career pack following us. Miller then grabs his stuff and runs with us. The Career pack is gaining on us and there is nowhere to hide. Then I spot a lake with a couple of giant rocks.

"Follow me." I say in a need for breath. Paige and Miller then follow me and we jump into the lake. I don't know how to swim but I put my feet on a rock. After about a couple of seconds later all three of us go to the surface, gasping for air. I look around to see if the Careers are anywhere but I see no one. We then try to swim across the lake back the ground. We are all coughing and gasping for air.

"Are you guys okay?" I ask.

"I'm good." says Paige. "What about you Miller?"

"I'm fine, I'm just wet." He answers. "The only problem is that we don't have any food."

"Yes we do." I say. I then open my pack to reveal the apples.

"Wow, all of that? That many apples can last about a week, well depending how much we eat every day."

"Want one?" I ask them. "I know I do."

"Sure, I think I'm so exhausted that I can't even chew." says Paige.

"Yes I am so hungry." says Miller.

"Did you find any food?" asks Paige.

"No, not a single berries bush but there must be food here. The Careers are here so there must be."

"Possibly." adds Paige.

"Now what show we do?" I ask.

"We should find a tree." says Paige.

"But we can't fall asleep yet or else we could be spotted." Miller says.

"Let's just find a tree for the night but let's not fall asleep." I say.

"Okay." says Miller.

"I don't care what we do, I just want somewhere to rest." says Paige. We then start walking around the forest to find a tree for the night.

"What about that one?" Paige asks.

"Looks safe." Miller says. We all climb the tree, go to different branches and tie ourselves.

"How do you know so much about trees?" I ask Paige.

"What do you mean?" She says.

"Every single time we are trying to find a tree, you always find the perfect one. How do you know?"

"Okay, back in District 8 my father used to talk to me about trees while I would to hang clothes around the house to let them dry. Also when I was done with school I used to draw trees for fun, since I never saw any. What did you do after school, Ginger?"

"I used to go with my brother-"

"Was he the one-" Miller starts.

"Yes." I sadly say. "Anyway I used to go with my brother to get water for my house, since we have no running water. Then after that we used to go and hunt."

"Don't you have farms in District 10?" asks Paige.

"Yes but not in my town so the Capitol let some of us hunt." I say.

"So how do you make money?" Paige asks.

"There is a certain amount of hunters per town, usually the children of the butchers, like me." I say. "What did you back in District 8?"

"I was a weaver; I used to work with my family."

"I miss my district." Millers says. "I miss the fields of wheat that I used to work on."

"Me too. I miss my family's butcher shop and the forests." I say.

"So do I. I miss all the factories that I used to see." adds Paige.

"I used to think that work was bad but now I realize that's better than being in the Games." says Miller.

"Don't any of you feel bad for Gadge?" I ask.

"No, why should I?" Paige asks.

"She volunteered; she didn't have to go to the Games." I say.

"But she took place for her sister, someone she didn't want to lose." says Miller.

"I know but she had a crippled foot, didn't any of you see what happened in the Cornucopia? She tripped on the floor, that's the only reason she died."

"I know." Paige says.

"She also died because of Steven." Miller adds. I look at him. "What? It's true."

"I know." I say. Then all of us are silenced by a noise.

"I hope it's not the Careers again." whispers Paige. Then out of the bushes I see Steven, Charity and Cole running through the bushes.

"Come on, they're going to catch up!" Steven yells. Charity and Cole continue running.

"What do you think they are running from?" asks Miller.

"Maybe the Careers." I say.

"As long as whoever is following them doesn't follow us, I'm okay." Paige says. Then we are all quiet so whoever is following Steven, Charity and Cole won't hear us. We wait for about ten minutes then I hear something moving, it's the Careers.

"We might as well just go back to camp, Brooke." Nolan says.

"No, we need to find them, they stole from us. They need to pay." Brooke says in anger.

"Brooke let's just go." Mace says.

"There already long gone, we're not going to catch them now." Diamond says.

"Fine. We can go but next time I see them, I want them dead." says Brooke. Then all of the Careers leave.

"That was a close call." says Miller

"If the Careers looked up, they could have spotted us and kill us." I say.

"That hopefully won't happen again." Paige says.

"So what should we do to pass time?" I ask.

"What do you mean pass time?" asks Paige. "The anthem is going to come on any minute."

"We can tell jokes." suggests Miller.

"We're in the Hunger Games, not even the funniest jokes can cheer me up." Paige says.

"Well, my brother used to tell me a lot of jokes, there was on that I hated" I say.

"Come on, tell us." begs Miller.

"It can't be that bad." Paige says.

"Okay, fine I'll tell you. What part of the body is the Capitol?" I say willingly.

"The heart?" Miller says.

"Um, the brain?" Paige guesses.

"Close the head."

"The Capitol always has to be in charge of everything!" exclaims Paige.

"That's what I hate about it." I say. "The only thing the Capitol is in charge of is ruining my life." I say.

"I agree." Paige says.

"So do I." Miller says. The anthem then plays and the Capitol's symbol is shown and there are no deaths for today. Then all of us fall asleep, exhausted.

 _ **There are no deaths for today but I just put in a little bit of action so the chapter wouldn't be so boring.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**I won't be saying anything up here anymore, I'll be talking at the end.**_

 _ **Dead: 11**_

 _ **Alive: 13**_

I wake up with hunger and thirst. I make sure that no one is under us before I untie myself to get my pack. I look at the food, it's tempting to eat without Paige and Miller but I can't or else they'll turn on me. I try to ignore the food and then I grab my bottle to get some water. I only take a couple of sips of water and there's nothing left in it. I then climb to Paige's branch to wake her up, it takes a while but she wakes up.

"Yes?" Paige asks me once she is finally awake.

"Come on, we need to find food, wake up Miller." I say.

"Why can't you do it?" Paige asks.

"Because you are right over him." I say while pointing to Miller.

"Okay, then." Paige then climbs to Miller. "Wake up we need to get food."

"And water." I add.

"Okay, let's go but can we at least eat a little first?" Miller asks.

"Sure." I say. I remove the apples from my pack and I only take out one.

"That's it?" Miller asks.

"Yes, we can't afford to lose any more food, what happens if we don't find food today? We'll then have nothing to eat. I'll break the apple into thirds." I say.

"Then how are you going to cut it?" Miller asks. I then open my vest with the knives in it. "Oh." I then grab one knife and cut the apple into thirds.

"I guess this is the meal of the day." Paige says.

"Not if we start hunting." I add. We then eat our part of the apple and get off the start hunting.

"We can have the same jobs. I can get the water and then you two can get the food." Paige says.

"And this time make your fire tiny because I don't want to run away from the Careers again. So don't be yelling 'Miller! Run! The Careers are casing us!' because I will just go and climb a tree and leave you two behind." Miller says.

"Okay, I won't." Paige says.

"So we'll all meet here, right?" I ask.

"Yes." Miller says.

"Sure." Paige adds. I then leave them behind and I go to find food. Should I go back to the Cornucopia? I ask myself in a tempting voice. No, I can get hurt. But I can get good food. I did see the Cornucopia when I was at the lake. I go to the lake and I go across the rocks to go to the other side of the lake. I nearly slip since I am in such a rush to go to the Cornucopia.

Once I spot the Cornucopia, I hide behind some trees and bushes. I then look to my left and to my right, no one. I then start running to the center of the Cornucopia. I run inside, making sure there is no one to surprise me. I look around and I spot some more apples. I only grab a few so no one will know that I am here. I frantically stuff the apples into my pack and run out.

I then bump into someone and we both fall back. I sit up to see who it is. Not Spud. I think. Not Spud. I get up, ready to run. I look up, it's Steven. In a far distance I see Charity and Cole running to me. Steven looks at me shocked. He is looking back and forth. I then just run away, trying to avoid conflict. Then Cole pushes me down to the floor. Before I can get up he grabs my foot and starts to drag me. I start to shake my legs. I then trip him and try to get up but he grabs my leg again. I then kick Cole right in his face and break his nose. I run away into the woods, as fast as possible.

"You let her escape!" Charity yells.

"It's not my fault, she broke my nose." says Cole with a bloody face.

"It doesn't matter." says Steven. "It's not going to make a difference is she's dead, she can't really do anything."

"But her score begs to differ." Charity says.

"Just leave her alone." Steven says. "She's just a little girl." Then they leave. At least I got the apples. I say. I then go to the lake and walk across the rocks. I walk to the tree that Paige, Miller and I were on and I just wait for them to come back.

It's getting late and I'm starting to get worried about Paige and Miller. I get off the tree and start looking for them. It may be a bad idea but it's worth a shot. I look thorough bushes and trees trying to find Paige and Miller.

"There you guys are I was worried sick about you two!" I say I anger.

"Well you don't have to be, look what we found." Miller says while holding berries, dark as night.

"How do they taste?" I ask.

"Don't know we haven't tried it yet." Paige says.

"I don't know it doesn't look promising." I say.

"Don't worry." Miller says. He then plops the berries into his mouth and falls onto the floor. Then, boom, a canon goes off. With worried faces we bend down, trying to see if it's Miller's canon or not.

"Miller, wake up!" Paige says almost crying. I go and check his pulse.

"Paige, he's gone." I say sternly. "I told him that they were not promising. 'Don't worry'." I say mimicking Miller's last words. "Ah, why didn't he listen?" I say angered.

"He was one of the smartest ones here." says Paige.

Without hesitation I say, "These berries must be poisonous."

"Maybe it was an allergic reaction." Paige says while grabbing some of the berries.

"No," I slap the berries out of her hands. "If Miller had a reaction he would have shown signs of it for example, itchiness or swelling. Miller just fell on the floor and died."

"Okay, I suppose you're right." Paige says.

"Let's go and find a new tree." I say.

"Also we need to leave so the hovercraft can come to pick up Miller." Paige says.

"Okay, then let's start finding a new tree." I say. We then leave so the hovercraft to take away Miller forever. Now District 9 has no chance of winning. I remember a couple of years ago, when I was nine, one tribute jumped onto the hovercraft and tried to escape. Then a Peacekeeper saw him and shot him dead. I look back and see the hovercraft, when they pick up Miller, the berries falls out of his hands. If Miller never ate it, we could have all been dead.

Now that Miller is gone, it's now just Paige and I.

"Every day we should eat an apple but still go hunting for food and water." I say as we are finding a new tree.

"Okay," Paige says. "What about this tree?"

"Perfect." We climb up the tree, eat an apple and try to relax. A couple of feet away there is a giant treacherous mountain.

"Who did that to you?" asks Paige, looking at my cuts.

"Why should you care, I got them yesterday."

"I want to know who is picking on you." Paige says. I start laughing. "What's so funny?"

"You sound like my mom." I say laughing.

"Ha ha very funny, now tell me, who did that to you?"

"Nolan, next time I see him, I'm going to kill him. He has been picking one me ever since the Training Center but he's going to learn not to mess with us." I say. Paige then goes into her pack and gets her bottle.

"I'm short on water." Paige says while tipping her bottle over, only a drop comes out.

"Give me a second." I say. I look through my pack and try to find my bottle. "Here have some of mine."

"No, I can't take it, it's yours." Paige answers.

"Come on, I'll split it evenly." I say. I grab her bottle and I pour some of my water into her bottle.

"Thank you Ginger." Paige says after she takes a sip of water.

"Your welcome it was nothing." My voice drifts away. It suddenly starts to rain. I see a giant flock of birds fleeing away from us. "Paige we need to leave. Untie yourself!" I say. I untie my rope as quickly as possible.

"Why?" Paige asks.

"Back home before a big storm, all the animals used to act crazy and the birds would go away." I say. Paige then quickly unties her rope.

"Ginger, mine is stuck!" Paige says in fear.

"I'm coming!" I say. I then leave my branch and go to hers and the ground starts shaking.

"Hurry Ginger!" Paige says panicking.

"I'm trying!" I say. I untie Paige and we climb down the tree as quickly as possible. Paige and I try to walk but the ground is already starting to flood. I then turn around and what I see in the distance is terrifying. A tidal wave.

"We need to get to high ground." Paige says.

"No, we need to run." I say. I grab Paige's hand and try to we start running. The mudslide is catching up to us. Once the mud catches someone, it's hard to get out. I turn around and I see mudslide and debris behind me. I look to my left and I see Paige but when I look to my right, I see Steven, Charity and Cole. There is no time for killing. I think. All three of them are trying to run, just like Paige and then I see it. I see in the distance a hill.

I grab Paige's hand and we try to run in the direction of the hill. I look behind me and I see that Steven, Charity and Cole are following us to the hill. The hill is just a couple of feet away, Paige and I are starting to give up but I don't want to be eaten by the tidal wave.

"I'm not losing you Paige." I grab her hand and I walk faster to the hill.

"I can't keep up with you!" Paige says.

"If you want to live then I suggest you should." I say. Paige then walks faster and I let go of her hand.

"Look! The mountain is right there!" Paige says with joy. My lungs are not even burning the slightest bit but it's getting hard to breath. We then run a little more and I see what the mountain really is. The top is nice and smooth but the sides are rigged and may take minutes or even hours to climb.

"We need to climb fast." I say.

"We're never going to make it." Paige says in disbelief.

"We need to try." I say. I then turn around and see why she said that. We have about two minutes until the tidal wave hits. We can never make it to the top. We just need to climb faster than usual, that is if we even get to the mountain.

Paige and I walk faster but there is no way that we will get to the mountain in time. The water suddenly gets thick, the rain pours harder, and the tidal wave hits us.

For a second I think that I am dead. Then I realize that I'm not. I can see the debris in the water. I then try to swim. I try so hard and I get tired so quickly. I finally reach the surface of the tidal wave and gasp for breath.

What I see is terrifying. The water is going to the trees and is even knocking some of them down. I hysterically look around in search of Paige. I find Steven, Charity and Cole. I don't care about then, I need Paige. What is the poor girl drowned?

"Paige? Paige where are you?" I yell at the top of my lungs. I don't care if Steven and he allies hear me. I'll deal with them later, if I even get out of this mess.

I then see this little thing holding on to a tree for her dear life. Her black curls give it all away. "Paige!"

"Ginger!" I try to swim to the tree. I would have never made it if it wasn't for Paige grabbing on to my hand. Now there are two helpless girls holding on to a tree. With the rain that is falling down at this point, our heads will be covered at any minute.

"We need to climb the tree." I try to tell Paige.

"Great idea but there is not that many branches on your side, how are you going to get up?" Paige askes me.

"Don't worry about that." I say. Paige starts climbing and I try to reach my belt and I then grab my knife. I then take the knife and stab it to the tree. Once I reach branches, I start climbing them.

"This tree is not going to hold us for long." Paige tells me. I then hear the trees falling in the distance. Well the Capitol is helping us out for sure.

I start to freak out with Paige. I look at the trees that lead to the mountain. "The branches on the trees toward the mountain look promising. We have to climb them."

"Okay, I'll try." Paige says. We then start climbing the branches. The closer we get to the mountain, the smoother the current is.

"I think that we can walk to the mountain from here." I say.

"True, the mountain is just a couple of feet away." Paige tells me. We then start climbing the hill. The hill doesn't look that tall but I hope that is tall enough Paige and I to live for a while. When Paige and I are finally at the top, the mudslide passes us and even lowers a little bit. I feel so relieved that the mudslide finally passed. I look around the hill.

"This hill is bigger than I thought." I say.

"Me too, it's like a little island." Paige says.

"Do you want to look around?"

"Sure, but we can't stay here for two reasons. One is that there are just a couple of trees here. And two Steven, Charity and Cole may be here."

"Okay, let's just see what we can do on this hill because this is where we are sleeping." Paige and I start walking to explore the hill. I see some birds and other animals.

"Can you kill a bird?" Paige asks.

"No, they move too fast. I can kill other animals, like squirrels." I say.

"Then in other words I hope you find a squirrel or two."

"So do I." We keep on walking around. I then see a couple of bushes moving and I walk closer to it. Then Steven comes out of nowhere while Paige and I hide.

"Is anyone there?" Steven says. Paige and I stay as quiet as the air. I then hear a faint voice in the distance.

"Steven did you find anything?" Charity says. She then walks up to him. "Come on Cole show Steven what you found."

"I found some berries, I've seen them at home before and they're really good." Cole says while holding orange berries in his hands.

"Is there more of them?" Steven asks.

"Yes, there are bushes and bushes of them." Cole says with pride.

"Okay, great let's camp where the berries are so no one can take them as well, that is if there is anyone else on this hill." Steven says while looking in our direction.

"Let's go and take their berries." Paige whispers.

"No they are going to guard them." I say while looking at Cole's nose. "Besides, we have some apples." I whisper back. Steven, Charity and Cole then leave to go and make a camp.

"Okay let's find a tree." Paige says.

"We need to be a couple of feet close to the edge of the hill, so we can leave in the morning." I say.

"Okay, let's try to leave earlier so we don't get caught." Paige says.

"Perfect." I say. We look for a tree for about half an hour until we find a tree.

"What about this one?" Paige asks.

"Perfect." I say. We then climb the tree and this time my branch is higher than Paige's. "Are you sure that you can handle the lower branch because now you are in charge of telling me if there is something or someone coming" I say.

"No it's fine, I'm not that weak." Paige answers. She then stars at my face.

"What are you looking at?" I ask.

"How are your glasses still on your face?" she asks me.

I touch my face and realize that my glasses are still on my face. "Oh, is that I have outgrown these glasses so long ago so they fit tight on me. I guess the mudslide was not that powerful to remove them."

"Okay, I just wanted to know." The anthem then plays about an hour later when it is dark and we see today's deaths. Only Miller is shown. We then tie each other to the tree. I fall asleep, thinking of when Gael gave me the bread on the day.

 _ **Before I talk about what happened in this chapter, I just wanted to say that the last line of this chapter is just Ginger remembering what happened when Fora gave Gael the bread and they split it in half to carry it back home. I just wanted to make that clear! Okay now let me say what happened in the Games today. So Miller is now dead because he ate some mysterious berries, which is actually called nightlock but Ginger doesn't know that, which killed him. Miller was the type of kind that thought he was the know-it-all. Basically his smartness was what killed him in the first place. Then there is the tidal wave, I didn't want to make the rest of this chapter boring so I decided to have the little tidal wave. I also know that someone should have died in the flood but I need the characters for the future. :)**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Dead: 12**_

 _ **Alive: 12**_

As soon as I wake up, I check the area and untie myself to climb to Paige. I carefully climb down to Paige and tap her.

"Paige wake up." I whisper. She mumbles something under her breath. It sounded like "Five more minutes ma." I tap her again.

"I'm not your mom, wake up." I whisper again.

"Yes, Ginger?" She says in a tired voice.

"We need a plan." I answer.

"Wh-why?"

"To live. Look I was seeing who was with. Diamond, Mace, Alexis, Nolan and Brooke are still alive. So are Charity, Cole and Steven. Then Spud and Carter are alone."

"And why is this important?" Paige asks.

"We need to bring them together and kill them so the Capitol won't do it."

"Does that Capitol do anything?"

"Of course, have you ever seen any the Games?"

"No, I don't like seeing people being killed. Have you?" That explains everything. I think.

"Yes, I started watching the Games ever since I was a little girl."

"Okay, now on with the plan. You were saying?"

"Oh yea, the plan. We need to bring all of the tributes together or else the Capitol will do it and I'm talking about mutts, poisonous fog and death traps. None of us want that."

"That's a pretty good plan." Paige says now fully awake. "I think we should get some food."

"Now that's what I call a good plan." Paige untied herself from the tree and then we help each other off and start walking.

"So should we get water or food first?" I ask.

"Well it depends how much water we both have." Paige answer.

"I'll check my pack." I stop walking and I check my bottle, about half the bottle. "I'm good. What about your water?" Paige then checks her bottle.

"I'm good too. So I guess we can get the food first."

"Okay."

"What do you think we should do?" asks Paige.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about putting the tributes together."

"Oh that plan. Remember in the Training Center that we learned how to make paint?"

"With the berries?"

"Yes with the berries. We can make trails to lead the tributes to one another but away from food and water. We don't want to save any of the tributes."

"What about Carter?" Paige asks.

"What about Carter, we'll find him, eventually."

"He mentors were the morphings."

"He's going to be one of the hardest to catch." The morphings won by hiding throughout the whole Games until all of the other tributes died of infection, and that is what Carter must be doing. Paige and I keep on walking in hope to find water, meat or berries. I don't really care what we find, as long as I don't find any other tributes.

"We're getting nowhere." Paige says.

"Maybe we should split up, we'll find food twice as fast." I say.

"Where should we go when we are done finding food?" asks Paige. "That is if we do find food." she mumbles under her breath.

"We should go to the lake that we were in when we were escaping from the Careers." I suggest.

"Okay, see you later." Paige waves goodbye.

"Okay bye, see you later." I wave as we separate. I start walking around to try to find food. At this point I'll take anything that the Capitol has, meat or fruit. I can live for about a week or two without food, but as long as I find water I don't care what happens. Hopefully Paige will bring some water from a creek or stream.

Being a hunter gives me advantages. It's like I am I Career except I don't have the training skills that Districts 1, 2 and 4 have. Back home your family members teach you how to hunt, which is not always be that good but in the Career Districts, they have very good trainers.

My family was always butchers but we had a different house, which is very far away from the Reaping Center. My family had a nice farm were they would get all of the meat from. Every time I try to think about my old home it would just be a slight, faint memory, a one room house with nothing really in it. Things changed when my brother was eleven. My parents and Buck's mom were planning to leave their old homes in order to be closer to the Reaping Center. Buck and Gael were the best of friends but little did Buck now that he was going to be reaped in two years. Thinking about Buck, little did I know that I was going to be in the Games.

I walk around only seeing trees, moss and rocks. I look around the moss to check if it leads to any source of water. The rocks are wet but there is no water around. I keep on walking to find food. Then I hear something or someone eating. I walk closer than see who or what it is, Spud. He is eating a squirrel. Where did he get that squirrel? I think. He just caught two, one nearly gone and the other is not even cooked. I could steal that squirrel. I think. I don't really steal things but this is the Hunger Games. Back home stealing could lead to death but here, it's just the way of surviving.

I can't throw a knife or else Spud would look in my direction so I look around. I need to find something to throw. I look throw the dirt as quickly and quietly as possible. Then I find a rock about the size of my palm. I pick it up and throw it into the bushes far away from my position. Spud drops squirrel bones and picks up his mace.

"Who's there?" Spud demands while looking in the opposite direction of me. I guess that he didn't learn that many things in the Training Center. There is no answer. Spud then walks toward where the rock was thrown and disappears into the bushes for a while. This is my chance. I run to his campsite and grab the uncooked squirrel. The squirrel is tied with a rope to his pack. I open my vest and grab a throwing knife, cut off the rope and I grab the squirrel.

"Hey!" Spud yells. I get up and run away as fast as possible. Spud then picks up a rock, or a pebble, and throws it to a tree. He didn't aim well so the rock just bounces off the tree. The problem is that Spud doesn't chase me. "I'm going to find you and when I do, it's going to be your last day here!" He warns. I run away from Spud satisfied with what I found. There has to be more squirrels there. I think. At least I know where Paige and I will be hunting. I walk to the lake and I find Paige sitting down.

"Ginger! Thank goodness you're okay!" Paige says. She comes unto me and gives me a big hug. When then walk to the nearby trees to be hidden.

"Look what I found." I say. Paige's face lights up.

"How did you get it?"

"I stole it from Spud but he caught me so we have to be careful, he's not happy."

"Do you know where did he find it?"

"Yes, somewhere over there." I say while pointing to where I saw Spud.

"Maybe we can go there to find us some food."

"Did you find anything?" I ask Paige.

"I found some berries but I have never seen them so I wanted to be safe but I did refill my bottle. Here I'll do yours." Paige then takes my bottle goes to the lake and refines my bottle. She then makes a little fire and boils my water. "Here you go." Paige gives me my bottle.

"I guess this is the hunt of the day." I say.

"Yeah, I guess so." Paige says smiling. I make another small fire, so we can't be seen and start cooking the animal. It takes ten minutes to skin it and two hours to cook. When the meat is cooked, I split it down the middle, half for me and half for Paige. We eat with joy.

"What if we are the last two left of the Games?" asks Paige.

"Well," I think for a moment. "We will stay together but hunt for our own so the Capitol won't bring us together. But don't worry, that will never happen." I say. Paige looks worried but then that face goes away.

"Can we get more?" she asks.

"Of course we can." I reply. I then try to trace back to where Spud was.

"Is Spud still here?" Paige asks.

"No but let's pretend that he is." I answer. We walk to where Spud's camp was. When we do get there all I see is a put out fire.

"I guess it's time to start looking for squirrels." Paige says.

"How are you going to catch squirrels?" I ask while looking at Paige's mace.

"I guess I can't."

"Here try throwing one of my knives." I open my vest and I give her a knife.

"Oh I can't."

"Come on just try it. Try to hit the branches." Paige throws the knives and completely misses. She goes and get the knives back.

"Here you go." Paige says while handing my knives back to me.

"No you can keep them, you never know you could hit one."

"Oh, thanks I'll give them back to you if I catch one."

"Okay, well meet here."

"Okay." I then leave to go and find some squirrels to eat. I look around the campsite. Spud can't be that dumb and camp right where he found the squirrels but you never know what a tribute could do. Spud may be the strongest one alive but he isn't the smartest. I go a couple of feet away from the campsite to find a squirrel and hem I spot one. It's brown like the dirt and it is very hard to be spotted if you are in a rush. I quietly take out a knife from my vest and then I throw it. It hits the squirrel right in the neck. I look around for another squirrel for Paige just in case she doesn't find one. I spot Paige with a squirrel in her hands.

"How did you get the squirrel? Did you throw the knife?" I say while looking at the throwing knife in the squirrel's stomach.

"I saw the squirrel then I took my mace and squished its tail. Since it was still alive I took the throwing knife and stabbed it in the stomach."

"At least we both have our own squirrels."

"Yes and here's your knife."

"Thank you." We sit down, make our own fire, skin our own animal and cook it. By the time we finish eating our squirrel, we are stuffed.

"We also need to eat berries." I say.

"That's true but the problem is that some or maybe even all of the berries are poisonous." answers Paige.

"Yes but . . . maybe . . . we can pick out berries and feed them to the animals, I mean if they are safe then we should be safe for us."

"But maybe the squirrels can eat it but we can't."

"Then we can only eat berries that we saw at our home district."

"That's sort of a problem for me. You may have fields, green grass and animals back in District 10 but that's not how District 8 is. In District 8 there are many factories to make clothes so there is rarely a blade of grass on the floor. Most of the berries that I eat are from District 11."

"So you don't know anything about berries?"

"No, sorry."

"Well then you can still help me."

"With what?"

"Helping me find a tree to sleep in." We then get up and find a tree to sleep in.

"Here is a nice one." Paige says while pointing at a tree.

"I like it, it's nice and strong."

"Like Spud."

"Yes, like Spud, he can crush us like bugs." We then climb the tree and wait for the anthem the play and for today's deaths. After about an hour later the anthem finally plays. No one has died today. I was almost going to be on that screen because of the squirrel that I caught earlier. I fall asleep in fear of Spud.

 _ **Now we are in day four of the Games! No one has died today but there is some conflict going on in the story...**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Dead: 12**_

 _ **Alive: 12**_

We wake up and there is not a sound to be herd on the area. Paige and I untie ourselves and get off of the tree.

"Do you want to get the food today or do you want to get the water?" I ask Paige once I am off the tree.

"No, I can barely catch a squirrel and I don't know any of the berries. How am I supposed to find food for the both of us?" Paige exclaims.

"Well then how did you get that 7 in the session?" We then start walking to where the lake and the squirrels are.

"I used a mace and I had to hit the manikins with the mace. I did okay but I kept on dropping my mace on the floor. Also the Gamemakers are usually drunk by District 7. What did you do?"

"I threw my knives as usual. There were moving targets and targets that didn't even move. I only missed once."

"Do all of the other tributes have moving targets? Mine were all still."

"Some people can throw a knife from a far distance but for a weapon like yours, you need to be close to your target. We're the manikins around you?"

"Yes they were made out of a foamy consistency, pretty cheap for the Capitol. I was expecting something harder to hit like rubber."

"That's because the Capitol usually saves the good things for the Games."

"Which means more bad news for all of us."

"Not for all of us." I start. "All of the citizens of the Capitol have a good life and all the districts care about is their tributes winning. It's only bad news for the tributes and the tributes families."

"Yes I just wish I was back home in District 8. Every day I wonder how is my family doing and if I will ever make it out of this arena."

"Me too. I not even supposed to be here but it was just because of some meat."

"Speaking about meat, what happened with the meat in your district?"

I don't want to tell her anything about it because it reminds me of when Gael and I went to the bakery. When I was so happy that none of us was going to be reaped and Gael was finally safe. When all my happiness left my body. When the letter came to my house. When my name was picked. And then the hardest part, saying bye to my family, forever.

"I don't really like talking about it." I say.

"It's okay; you don't need to tell me if you don't want to." Paige answers.

"I'll tell you anyway at least someone should know. My district was so tired with the Capitol's rule so they decided to poison the meat that they were going to sell. I really don't know why really, the Capitol could have been stricter."

"The Capitol is strict enough, how could they be stricter?"

"The reaping could be from ages eight to twenty-five."

"Okay. Oh I found the lake!" Paige says while pointing to the lake. "Give me your bottle and I'll refill it and boil the water for you."

"And I'll try to find any piece of food I can find." I say.

I start walking to where I found Spud the other squirrels which I hope I find. Before I even start looking for squirrels I take a couple of my knives and put a couple in my hands. I then check if anyone like Spud is following me. I keep on walking slowly and checking everywhere I walk. Walking so quiet in the Games reminds me of when I first went hunting.

Gael was fifteen and I was only seven years old. I always liked going with Gael hunting so when I started learning I would already know some tricks on how to hunt. When I was seven there was a time when the Capitol didn't get that much food because there was a drought and all of the animals were dying off. The Capitol then ordered for the breeders to breed three times as many animals as they used to, at all costs. Then the rule change of the hunter came.

I was supposed to start hunting when I was ten years old but the rule change made me hunt at seven-years-old. Gael then took me home and asked which weapon I wanted. There were bow and arrows, a spear and throwing knives. At first I choose the bow and arrows but the bow was too big and heavy for my weak hands to hold. Gael then told me to try the throwing knives since they were small and light for my hands to hold. Gael then said that could use the bow when I was older but I started to like the throwing knives so I decided to keep using them.

At first I was not that good at throwing knives. The first time I threw a knife I scared away a wild pig. Then Gael had to go and chase the pig and he eventually got it. Since that was the only catch of the day the Peacekeepers gave Gael money which we used to buy some bread and cheese.

I walk nice and quiet just like Gael taught me and I try to catch anything I can find. I keep on walking and then I find a fat squirrel. It's so chubby that it could barely walk. I grab one of my knives and I aim for the squirrel. I goose then flies and scares away the squirrel. I then climb a tree to find the goose. I climb about ten feet and I still can't see the goose because of the tall bushes in my way. I climb the tree to the top and hear a scream, a very loud one. The goose quickly flies away but I have something else to worry about, Paige. What if that's Paige is screaming? I think in fear. It I can hear it but I don't know what the person is saying. It sounds like a girl. I get off of my tree and try not to scream Paige's name just in case I'm around the screaming. I hear the screaming again. I run even faster. I see Paige running crazy.

"Paige!" I yell in relief.

"Ginger!" Paige exclaims.

"I thought it was you who was screaming."

"Me too."

"Thank goodness that it isn't one of us."

"Then who is that Ginger?" Paige asks in fear.

"I don't know." I answer in fear as well. "But let's find out." We then wait for the girl to scream and then we quickly start running. We are both panting but we still keep running.

"Please! Please don't kill me!" begs Charity. Charity has a broken lip and has a black eye. She must have been fighting with the Careers. Alexis has her throwing ax ready to go through Charity. On the other hand I can Cole with cuts all over his face and Diamond with her scythe right at Cole's neck.

"Look we can help you, really. Ju-just don't hurt us." begs Cole. Mace gives them a look of disbelief.

"How can we trust you?" Mace demands.

"We can help you fight." Charity says.

"I don't trust you. After all you did try to kill us." Alexis says.

"Is that we thought that you were going to kill us." Cole says. Charity then tries to run away. In a blink of an eye I hear screaming and then two canons. They're gone, District 12 has no winner this year. Then out of nowhere I see Steven.

"Look, I can really help you." Steven says in a tough and brave voice. He only has a black eye. "Ginger and Paige are working together. Their other partner, Miller, he's dead."

"Is this true Alexis?" Mace asks.

"Yea, how do you find this out?" she asks.

"Cole, Charity and I were spying on them. I really pay attention to things." he admits.

"What was your score?"

"A ten and my weapons are throwing spears."

"Okay, you're in Steven." says Mace but I don't think that he really trusts him yet.

"If you try to kill me, hurt me or even touch me, I will kill you." Brooke says.

"Relax I didn't really try to hurt you." Steven answers.

"I'm still keeping my eyes wide open." Brooke warns.

"Anyway what's the plan then?" asks Steven.

"We are going to kill tributes especially your tribute partner, Ginger." Mace replies.

"Why do we need to kill her, she's eleven." Steven asks.

"Her score was a nine." says Diamond.

"So what my score was a ten."

"Yes but you are stronger than her." Alexis reminds him.

"Are you in or not." Nolan asks.

"If I say no you'll kill me so what choice do I have? Anyway I can start helping you now." Right at that moment Steven looks right at us. I freeze. He is going to kill us both, right now. I think. Paige and I start to move back slowly. The whole Career pack is there, Diamond, Mace, Alexis, Nolan and Brooke. The only one that wasn't there was Roman. Steven betraying me is just like Brooke and Roman in the Cornucopia.

"Okay, let's go." Brooke says. I feel even more betrayed that I already was. Steven then leads the pack to the opposite side of us. We leave at that moment.

"Why didn't he come and kill us I mean he saw us, we were right there and Steven saw us." asks Paige.

"I don't know why but we need to find food, get water and get different trees every single night. If we don't, then the Career pack will find and kill us."

"I couldn't agree more."

"Did you get anything?" I ask.

"Yes I got the water. When first herd Charity screaming I was putting out the fire. What about you?"

"No, when Charity first screamed she scared away a nice goose that I was going to kill."

"A whole goose? That could have lasted is about four whole days!"

"At least the apples haven't gotten bad. We could just eat those instead."

"Okay, hopefully we can find food tomorrow." Paige says.

"I hope so." I answer. Paige and I keep on walking to try to find a tall tree.

"What about that tree? It's nice and tall." Paige says while pointing at a tree.

"That's good for the night." I reply. This time we climb all the way to the top of the tree, just so we can't be seen as easily.

"Here it's like a camouflaged suit." Paige says handing me a sleeping bag covered in leaves. She has one as well.

"When did you make this?" I ask.

"Once I finish getting water the first time, I started." Paige replies.

"But I never gave you mine." I sound confused.

"This was Miller's, he gave it to me before you left. I was planning to do yours when you came back but then we heard the canon."

"Oh."

"Do you think that the will catch us?"

"No, why?" I answer. "We will be fine as long as we follow the plan."

"No, is that we are so young, no one ever won so young."

"Well maybe this year someone can, like you or even me."

"Okay, well I guess you're right." The anthem then plays and I only see Charity and Cole. I give Paige half an apple and then I eat the other half.

"I hope my face is never up there." I say.

"Neither do I." answers Paige. We then try to fall asleep. I think about how sad it is a twelve and, for this year only, an eleven-year-old are fighting to the death. Then my eyes shut.

 _ **Steven has now joined the Careers while his allies were killed. Charity was a person that wanted things her way. Charity was trying to convince Mace the the rest of the group not to kill her. Then there is Cole, he was the type that wanted to be convincing but he really wasn't. Cole tends to break down and loses confidence when his is scared.**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Dead: 14**_

 _ **Alive: 10**_

I wake up before Paige, and I am parched. I look at the ground and at my surroundings to see if anyone was under the tree. I untie myself from the tree to get my pack. I look through my pack and I get my bottle. I start drinking and by the time I finish most of my water is nearly gone. I get off the tree to go to a lake to get some more water in hope that Paige doesn't wake up and starts freaking out.

Once I get off the tree and I start walking to the lake that I jumped into when I was running from the Careers with Paige and Miller. If Miller was still alive I would thank him for eating those poisonous berries. If Miller hadn't eaten them then I could have been dead. At first I cared and was sad about Miller's death. Now for ever tribute that dies I am one step closer to seeing my family again.

I get to the start of the lake where all of the big rocks are. I check if anyone is near to kill me and then I quickly refill my bottle. I refill my bottle and I make a fire to boil it. I find some wood and make a small fire. I walk across the rocks to see what is on the other side of the lake. After all I was only there for one day. I walk across the rocks and go to the woods.

I get to the other side of the lake and I start walking into the woods. I walk where there are two tall trees. This could be a good place to sleep. I think. I then look at the bottom of the tree and I see that there is a string tied to it. I look at the other strong tree and see that there is a string tied to it as well. I then look at the floor and see what I was going to walk into, a trap.

I move back and look up at the sky. There I can see a glimpse of a rope like net with many heavy rocks on the edges. Only one person could lift up rocks that high, Spud. I move back, open my vest and grab a knife. I throw it on where I was going to step on and the met comes down. I walk up to the net and realize that it is too big to be made out of one rope. It's made out of eight ropes, one for each rock.

I can't put the net in my pack or else it will squish up all of the things that I have also it is too heavy for me to even pick it up. I carefully look at the ropes and try to cut them so the ropes won't come out that small. I cut out the ropes and frantically stuff them in my pack. I take my throwing knife out of the ground and run away. I go to the lake and cross the rocks as quickly as possible. I then start walking back to Paige.

Once I get to the tree I see Paige still asleep. I sigh in relief and climb the tree. Once I am at the top of the tree I look at my pack and I check if I have all of the ropes I stole. Spud must have been getting revenge on me for stealing his squirrel. I stand on my branch to see if Paige is still asleep and she is out like a light. She sleeps so much I wonder if she slept in during the first day of the Games. I'll wake her up once I start to get even the slightest bit of hunger. No, I can't wait until I'm hungry or else when I start finding food I'll be starving. That's how many tributes have been killed; I don't want to die like that. I don't want to die at all. I think.

I climb up to Paige's branch and start to tap her to make her wake up. I tap her a couple of times but she doesn't do anything, she just stays still like stone.

"Paige!" I whisper while tapping Paige's shoulder. "Paige, wake up!" I almost shout at her.

"What is it now?" Paige whines.

"We have to go and get food, remember?""

"Oh, okay." Paige unties herself and we start climbing down the tree and then start running. Berries, that's what we need. I think. We keep on walking, and then I spot something. Something familiar, blossom berries! Blossom berries are these red berries that are all over district 10. Gael and I used to pick them and then we used to eat them. My mother used to make jam and she would sometimes sell the jam in the shop. The berries are nice and sweet. I remember in the summer I used to picked them will Gael for the winter. They used to act as a sweet treat for Gael and me when we were younger. I stop walking to show Paige.

"Paige, look. Did you eat these berries before?" I show her the berries.

"I don't think so and if I did I wouldn't remember since I'm not so good with naming berries."

"You may not know them but I know these berries. I used to eat them back home. Look there's more, how didn't I see them her fire. I'll go left and you'll go right. That what we can get as twice as many berries."

"Okay." she answers worried.

"What happened, why are you so sad?"

"Is that I'm scared about what happened yesterday. The Careers are hunting all of the other tributes down. What if I bump into them?"

"Don't worry as long as you stay hidden its fine." I start to leave.

"Wait where should I put the berries?"

"Here is a pouch put them in here and you should be fine."

"What should I do with the berries? Make paint?"

"You could make some with paint but don't waste all of the berries you find because one day we'll need them for food."

"Okay."

"Also don't worry, you'll be fine."

"See you later."

"See you later Paige." Now we are apart. Hopefully I'll see her again. I see more of the blossom berries. I put them in the same brown pouch I have to Paige. Berries and animals are great for the Games. I wonder if there are any dear in the arena. I may have been eating meat for days now but a deer could last a week. The best part is that all the food I find, I get to keep it instead of selling most to the Peacekeepers.

I find more berries and I stuff as many as I can in the pouch. This could be the last time I see the blossom berries. I could escape this area and find another place with no food. I can live about a week without food; I've done it before at home. As long as I have water I'll be safe because if I don't, I'll be dead in three days.

The part I mostly hate about the Games is the tributes. Not because I am a tribute I just hate how they act. When they are reaped the tributes, they act as tough as possible. When the tributes are in the Capitol they act as sweet as possible. During the training camp sessions they act as strong as possible. And then at the arena they act as viscous as possible, even though they many not live throughout first day. The part I mostly hate is that is how I acted all along. I'm not the Capitol's puppet, they can't control me and I wish I could tell them that.

Why can't one year the Games be different? Why can't anyone die? Why do the tributes jump off their pedestal? They don't have to, they just want to. I just wish that one day the tributes can outsmart the Capitol and show all of the citizens that we are not a part of their game and that we are human.

I pick up enough berries to fill my pouch. Hopefully Paige filled up her pouch with enough berries as well. I put the pouch on my pack and start going to the tree to wait for Paige. Since I have so many berries I can start making paint and painting the trails. I while wait for Paige I climb the tree and tell me that she has a lot of berries. Then I hear a scream. I get of the tree uncertain if it is Paige or not.

"Ginger! Ginger! Help me!" Now I know who it is, Paige. I start running, running as fast as I can. I hear her scream again. When I find her, I see Paige pinned on the floor, just a couple of feet from the Cornucopia. Whoever that person that has Paige pinned must have taken her mace and smacked her with t, because her face is losing a good amount of blood.

Why did she go there? I think angered. I don't need to worry about why she is there; I need to know who that person is. At first I don't know who it is but then I see the color of the tribute's jacket, bronze which means it's from District 2. I look at their weapon, a knife and I know exactly who it is, Nolan.

"What are you going to do? Huh?" Nolan asks Paige.

"Help!"

"You wanted to steal from the Cornucopia, didn't you?"

"No, I was just getting berries!"

"Lair, anyway the only thing I'm going to steal is your life."

"Ginger!"

"Paige!" I scream back. Right at that moment, Nolan looks at me and puts her knife in and then out of her stomach. I take one of my throwing knives and throw it in Nolan's arm. I even surprised that I threw the knife that far. He then takes his knife and stabs Paige again. I get out of the edge of the woods and start running to Nolan. He sees me running and he then starts to do the same. I'm not a match; I'll never get to Nolan.

"Paige!" There's blood everywhere. I know that Paige is not going to live but I try to comfort her. She can barely speak.

"Wh-why did you try to kill him for me?" she tries to say.

"For what he said about me and for what he did to you, he deserved something worse." Paige takes out something.

"Here a-re the b-berries. I fil-filled the p-pouch."

"Right now that doesn't matter, okay?" I say. My eyes are getting watery. Paige hands me her mace. Once it falls into my hands I put it to the floor. I take off my pack and start to look for bandages. Once I find them, I quickly put them on Paige's wounds. Paige then looks at me and removes my hands and the bandages.

"I-I'm a goner, go and s-save yourself." she tells me.

"No! I'm not giving up on you!" Now I'm crying.

Paige takes her bloody hand and grabs my face. "Look Ginger, save yourself." Her canon blows. I take her mace and put it in my belt. I wipe off the tears that are on my face. Then I look at my hands, they have Paige's blood on it. Then I wipe my hands and my face in disgust. I get up, with some blood on my face, and run as fast as I can, in the direction of Nolan.

I run into the woods and see trees that remind me of Paige. I take out the mace from my belt and a throwing knife from my vest and kept both in one hand each. I walk around the woods and then I spot Nolan. I don't yell. I just run straight to him.

I go on top Nolan and take the throwing knife trying to make it go through his eye. Nolan quickly takes over and pins me to the floor. He takes the mace out of my hand and barely throws it. He takes his knife out, looks at my face and smiles.

"Aww, look who was crying for their little friend." He must have seen my red face and my puffy eyes.

"You monster!" I yell at his face. "How could you kill her, she was only twelve!"

"Well I must really me a monster because you're just eleven and I don't mind killing you." He takes his knife and starts to put it to my face.

"Why you little-" I then reach for the mace, that Nolan poorly threw, grab it and smack his face with it.

Nolan runs away to the direction of the Cornucopia. I chase him there with the mace in my hands. As I run I can see a hovercraft, that I guess was meant to pick up Paige. Paige's body still lies on the floor. The hovercraft them backs away, waiting to see what will happen next.

Nolan trips on a pack and falls to the floor which gives me enough time to grab a throwing knife out of my vest. Then I give him what he deserves. As Nolan gets up from the floor, I throw the knife into his back; he falls onto the floor and dies. Good bye, idiot. I think as I leave to get his pack. Once I get myself together, I go through Nolan's pack and grab some my bandages, the glasses, the water bottle and some other things that I thought were important. I try my best not to look at Paige.

I walk away, forever.

I walk deep into the woods and eat the berries. The Games has broken me. I don't even care anymore; I just sit down on the ground and eat the berries in guilt. If I had more food I would have thrown away these berries and eat the other food but this is all I've really got. I now have another reason to try to win the Games, for Paige.

Why did I just stand there when Nolan was talking? I could have killed Nolan before he did anything to Paige. I could have saved her and she could have been with me eating berries. Paige didn't die because of Nolan, she died because of me.

I go up to a high tree and start to cry even more than I already have. I'm not home, I'm not even supposed to be here and all of my allies are dead. If District 10 never poisoned the meat, I would have never had to do the reaping earlier or I would have never meet Paige or Miller. I start to eat all the berries that I picked in guilt. I'm all alone. Now Steven and the Careers are going to kill me. I have to leave this place.

I get off the ground and start to leave. As I am walking, I think of revenge. Revenge for Paige. There has to be a way. To bring everyone together, there are only nine of us left; maybe I can start painting the trails now. I then find a tree. Paige would say, "What about that one?" and Miller would say, "I'm hungry!" Then the anthem plays. I see Nolan and then Paige's face. Now District 8 has no hope of winning. That poor thing, she didn't have to die like that, the pain, the blood. I wish the Hunger Games would just end. Now that all of my allies are dead, how can I win now? I wish Gael was here, he'll know what to do.

 _ **Yes, Paige is now dead and so is Nolan. Let's start off with**_ ** _Paige. Paige was this sweet and innocent child that really wouldn't hurt a fly unless if it was for her own survival. In fact the name Paige means young and child, which really goes with her personality. Paige and Ginger we really good friends because they were both so young. Now let's talk about Nolan. The first thing is that Ginger never liked Nolan and Nolan never liked Ginger. From the Training Center to the Cornucopia, I hope that I made it clear that Ginger and Nolan are enemies. Nolan was the type of kid that wanted to look like the best of the best. Nolan wanted everyone to think that he was best person and that he was all that. Sorry if I made any typos or any mitsakes (see what I did there). :)_**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Dead: 16**_

 _ **Alive: 8**_

I wake up and it's nice and sunny. I unite myself to go to the higher branch to wake up Paige.

"Pa-ige." Oh that's right. I'm all alone, nobody to help me. I start off my day like I would with Paige and Miller. I look in my pack and decide to hunt for some more squirrels. So I get off the tree and hunt. Once I am in the squirrel hunting area, I go and check the area. All I know is that Spud is alive and he is hunting for me. Spud can just be waiting here for me and then out of nowhere he can come and find me. All I hope is that Spud is not alive when the Capitol decides to make a feast. That is if I'm alive.

The Feast is when the Capitol gives all of the leftover tributes something that they really need. The things are put on a table right in front of the Cornucopia. The Capitol does this every year and it turns into the mini bloodbath.

I find a squirrel and start to hunt it down. I throw my knife but it escapes swiftly. I can't lose this squirrel because I don't know when I'll see another squirrel again. I then start running after the squirrel. The squirrel then runs up a tree in into a nest full of other adult squirrels. Those squirrels can feed me for days. I think. I open my vest and grab a couple of knives to throw them faster for when I get to the other squirrels.

I climb the tree as slowly and quiet as possible so I won't scare away the other squirrels. I stop climbing when I reach the branch under the squirrels' branch. I then go and try to climb to the other side of the tree so I can hit the squirrels by surprise. I climb to the other side of the squirrels' branch and I wait there. I then climb higher the squirrels and start throwing my knives.

As soon as I throw my first knife the other squirrels start running away. I start throwing my knives faster to hit more squirrels. I don't hit all of them but I hit a couple of squirrels. Once I hit all of the squirrels I can, I get off of the tree branch and I climb to where all of the squirrels are on.

I remove my knives from the squirrels and get ready to start cooking. I can only eat one squirrel a day so I will have food for about three days. I sit down and make a small fire. As I wait for the fire to get hot I start to skin the squirrel. Once I skin the squirrel I find a branch to put through it.

Once I find the perfect branch I go back to my squirrel and poke it through my squirrel. I can image what the Capitol it doing right now. Usually when there is no action in the Games the Capitol likes to show what each tribute is doing. The Capitol puts three screens in each district to see the main attraction in more than one angle. Since there are three screens, the Capitol and all of the districts can see what all of us are doing.

Once the squirrel is finished being cooked I take it out of the fire and put it in my pics. I then put out the fire by stepping on it as quick as I can. When I eat the squirrel, I eat it with joy.

More joy because I know I don't have to share with anybody or hunt an extra one for anyone.

I look through my pack. There is so much rope, two bottles of water, two boxes of matches and two sunglasses. I take one of the glasses and put them on. I have never used these glasses before. I don't even know the purpose of these glasses. Maybe they don't even work. I knew it; all these glasses do is make things darker. Well if darker means dark and dark means night, night! These are not sunglasses, they are night vision glasses. I will try them out tonight.

After I eat the squirrel, I eat some berries and half an apple. I'm eating a big breakfast for a reason. I'm going to make the Careers pay for what they have done, one way or another.

The problem is that I don't know what to do. Well, the Capitol loves to bring the other tributes together. Why can't I do that? It can be like the plan from the beginning. I mean I would rather bring the tributes together myself than the Capitol. One year the Capitol put no food or water anywhere except for one spot. Total madness, one of the bloodiest games ever.

Well Steven is with the Careers, that traitor, so of I put the District 10 symbol on trees and make a trail; the other tributes will know it's me. I look at Paige's mace. Then I look at the berries. I could finally make the trails that Paige and I were talking about. I could squish the berries to make paint, just like when I was telling Paige and Miller how to do it in the Training Center. So I take the berries and squish them with Paige's mace to make paint. I then paint the livestock symbol on Paige's mace.

The symbol doesn't really show but at least I can paint. If I can paint on the mace then I can paint on trees. The trees could suck the berry juice and then the juice will stain the tree. Hopefully the stain with last long enough for until the end of the Games.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder if Gael has still sad about Buck's death. I only met Paige a couple of days ago but Gael and Buck has known each other for years. Sure Gael cried when Buck died but I am still upset about Paige then how is Gael doing? I never realized his pain until I lost one of my friends.

I get up and start moving. I have to make a trail away from the blossom berries and the squirrels. The trails are meant to help me not the other tributes. If these trails trick anyone and hopefully everyone, I'll be able to go back home. So I start making the trails. I'm don't paint the symbol so perfect but it's pretty good and big enough to be seen a couple of feet away.

I would trick the other tributes with the poisonous berries but I could also trick myself. If I "accidentally" drop the berries on the floor and then another tribute comes and eats it and then they die. I can't do that or else I might eat them thinking that the poisonous berries are the blossom berries and then I would die.

I know this because it has happened to me before. When I was ten-years-old my mother told me to pick some blossom berries for a nice juice. I was so tired that day and it was so hot that morning so I was extra drowsy. I then went outside to go and get the berries. Instead of the blossom berries I picked my mother olives. My mother then told me too put the olives into the juice mix, which destroyed the juice. I was then scold at by my mother and had to go back into the heat to get more berries.

I start painting the trees in caution. Every now and then I look around to see if anyone is spying on me like Steven. I brought enough berries to paint at least fifty trees. I take the paint and carefully paint each tree. At least the livestock symbol is easier to paint then the luxury symbol from District 1.

If I lived in District 1 I could be better at throwing knives or I could have learned how to use other skills. There is something that District 10 taught me that no Career District teaches, hunting. In the Career Districts, they have mini Training Centers which never look like the arenas. In District 10 when I'm hunting, I feel like I am in the arena except I don't have the feeling that someone is trying to kill me.

It's late in the afternoon and I've already painted about fifty-three trees with the livestock symbol. Then I hear something. In a flash I already have a couple of knives in my hand. It's Spud and he's looking for something. He's looking for me. He's going to kill me once he looks at me. I think. If I move Spud will hear it and then kill me. If I don't move Spud will spot me and then kill me. I only have one option. I'm standing as still as possible. Spud is searching around the area and in a couple of seconds he is going to be looking into my soul. I don't throw a knife because I want to see if the trails work and just in case I miss Spud, he won't know where I am.

I have to think fast. I start moving as quickly and quietly as I can. I slowly move backwards toward a tree. Once I reach the tree I hide behind it. If I try to climb the tree but if I do all of the tree's branches will move and the leaves will fall off. I wait behind the tree for a while. I then hear Spud moving toward the tree.

Then I can hear something else move and Spud yelling.

"There you are!" He found me! I think. But he didn't find me. He then takes his mace and hits the ground with it. Spud was just chasing after a squirrel. I sigh in relief.

I then leave the tree and start walking back to my tree. As I walk I step on something and when I put my foot up it's already too late to move.

A net comes tumbling down to the ground. It looks just like the one I broke. I then realize that it is not one of Spud's traps, it's Brooke's. It looks just like the net that here mentor, Finnick Odair used to win his Games at fourteen. Then how did she make it? I must have been Steven that helped her.

I'm in panic stage. The net is over me and one of the rocks is on my foot. I start to look through what I have. My throwing knives are too small to cut through this thick rope. So I then take the longer knife from the Cornucopia and cut my way out. I then start cutting faster because I see Brooke running strait at me.

"Come on she's here!" Brooke exclaims. I see Steven and all of the other Careers running toward me. Alexis throws her ax and I duck as quickly as possible. Her ax lands right behind me. I then grab her ax and cut the rope. I push the rock off my leg and I start to run again.

I'm running straight to the lake and jump into it. I know there not going to fall for it again but that's the only option I've got. Once I jump in the lake and start swimming across the lake. Once I do I get off the lake I start running away again. Then Mace's trident hits the ground. If I didn't move to the side, it would have killed me.

Once I am safe I climb a tree and check my leg. It only hurts a little bit and it is a light pink. I could live with it. It's nothing compared to what happened to Lumen. I force myself to climb off of the tree to continue painting the trails. One side of me says that I should rest of the rest of the day and work tomorrow morning. Then the other half of my body tells me to paint. I continue to paint because the sooner I finish painting the trails, the sooner the tributes will find them.

It's been a couple of hours and now it's the late afternoon noon. I feel like every single tribute is against me except for Carter. To come and think of it I think that Carter is trying to secretly hunt me down or kill me because of the Cornucopia. Then a scary thought comes to my mind. What if all, of the other tributes agree and become allies to kill me? Just the thought about it give each the chills. If all of the tributes were against me then I would be a goner.

Its nightfall and it's starting to get really dark, so I look through my pack and I take one of the glasses and put them on, I can't believe that they really work. If it wasn't for the glasses, I wouldn't be able to paint. The only reason I am painting is because of Paige and so I can have a better chance of living, but mostly for Paige. Once I am finished, I grab a squirrel and make the smallest fire ever to cook it and not be seen because in the night it is easier to be seen, especially if you make a fire.

This is harder than I thought. I thought that hunting and being alone would be easier since I didn't have to get food for all of the allies. The truth is it isn't. When Paige and Miller were alive, I didn't really have to do anything. Page would get the water and then Miller and I the food. That saved me about an hour of trying to find and boil water. In that hour I can be killed. Right now I just wish that I was home. I remember when I was four and it was Gael's first reaping, I was crying the night before and the day of the reaping. Gael saw me in the morning and saw how red my face was.

"Please don't go the reaping." I begged.

"I have to do this for our family to stay alive and because it is the law." he said.

"Then pretend that you are ten so you can be safe."

"No I can't." Gael says laughing to calm me down but behind his laughter I could see fear in his eyes.

"Please?"

"Don't worry and I'll be back." Then he gave me the same face that he gave me on my reaping. Gael didn't get picked that day. I then remember when it was Gael's last day of being reaped and I was so nervous because Gael was entered about thirty-five times, just to get extra food. When Gael's name wasn't picked, I was so relieved. The problem is that on the day of my first reaping, I was picked. But if I do win then I will get riches food, a house and gold. I wouldn't have to be reaped anymore and I would be "happy".

The anthem plays to show the fallen tributes. I see no one today. I climb a tree and try to fall asleep. I hope my plan does work because if it does, I finally get to see my family again.

 _ **Ginger is still pretty sad that Paige is dead. She did encounter the Careers and Steven, that traitor. Ginger also had a little heart attack when she taught that Spud found her, but she was then happy when she found out he was finding a squirrel.**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Dead: 14**_

 _ **Alive: 8**_

I wake up and I'm starving. Before I untie myself, I check my food. The squirrels have already gone bad. The berry juice mixed up with the squirrels and made them rot earlier. Now all I have left are the berries. I can never have a small amount of food. I get off the tree and start finding food.

Before I get some food I need to get some water. I would rather have no food than any water. I start walking around the forest in search for a river. I can't go back to the lake since the Careers already know that I go there to get my water. If I go back there then there is a good chance that I'll bump into the Careers.

Every time I walk in the forest, it reminds me of home. Where I used to go hunting. When I used to play with my brother. Lastly when I used to go to school. Around my old school there were many trees were the younger ones would always like to play hide and seek. In school they teach all of the children about the Hunger Games.

All I know is that all of the schools on District 10 are going to be talking about this year's Games because I, an eleven-year-old am in it. Rule changing is usually done at the Quarter Quell, which is every twenty-five years.

Parched, I continue walking. An hour later I then step on mud. I look down and find little stream of water. Well this can't be all of the water. I think. I start to follow the stream of water until I reach a bigger stream which then leads to a small lake. This must lead to the other lake that I used to go to.

This time I need more berries. I walk about for another mile and then I see it. A bush filled with green berries. I've seen them before back home. I pick up a lot and put some in my mouth.

Once I take a bite out of the berries. I already know what type of berries they are, thusumberries. My mouth is on fire and feels like a wall of fire was just put into my mouth. My hands feel like someone is peeling my skin off. I spit the berries out of my mouth as fast as fast as possible and then look at my hands, they are covered with a rash and they are burning.

I am highly allergic to these berries. When I was eight and Gael sixteen, he gave them to me. I started yelling and since I swallowed them, my throat was swollen and I couldn't breathe. Gael then picked me up as I started to have a rash and brought me to our parents. My mother then rushed to the cabinets with all the medicine and gave me something to calm me down.

Here I have nothing to help me and if a swallowed them, then I would have suffocated. Since I didn't swallow the thusumberries, my tongue is just a little swollen but I have a terrible rash. This can't stop me. I also can't look weak, of I do then I can't get sponsors. Sponsors are people who can donate things, whatever they want, to the tributes of their choice but at a price. The weak tributes never get sponsors, only the strong ones do.

I try not to scream but I can't make any noise or else someone will find me. I start scratching myself to relieve the itch but that only gives me pain. My skin is so delicate right now. If I even give it the slightest scratch it will burn immediately.

I start to hear the leaves up in the trees move around like something is in there. I walk slowly to the tree and grab a knife that is ready to be thrown. I hear the leaves moving again. I then see a target; it looks like a person in a camouflage suit. The leaves cover the whole person's body and I can't tell who it is. I then throw my knife up to the tree.

The knife then gets stuck into the high part of the tree trunk. To my surprise the person in the trees grabs his knife; even their hands are covered, and then leaves to another tree. I move back in shock. The leaves are still moving in my direction. I start to run away so the tribute won't catch me. Well I just lost a knife. I think. I'm not returning there again because of the thusumberries and the mysterious tribute that climbs the trees.

Once I am safe, at least from the things that I know about, I look through my pack to see what I have. All that I can find that was is useful are some bandages. I look at then sadly. I then wrap them around both of my hands and cut the remaining bandage with one of my throwing knives. It does not make the rash less painful or my hands feel better but at least I can't scratch them. What I really need is some type of medicine, which I can only get from sponsors.

After I put on the bandages, I look at my knives. I immediately get up and walk to a tall tree, a just couple of steps ahead. I then move back and start throwing them. I feel a little uncomfortable but I can get used to it. I walk back to the squirrel section and kill try to one. If I can't kill one squirrel then I can't win the Games.

I walk to the squirrel section. At first I start to look for squirrel but I don't even see one squirrel at all. I climb up a tree waiting for one little squirrel, or even any other animal to climb on the trees or to walk past me.

I get so bored that I start to play with my knives. I start looking at them, making sure that any of the knives aren't cracked or broken. I also check if any of them can't stick it the wood.

I start looking at the floor since I've already check all of my knives, the longer knife and even the mace. I then spot a good looking squirrel. I quickly get off my tree and start chasing the squirrel.

The squirrel starts to go downhill and me as a famished little girl, I go and chase it down the hill. The path that the squirrel is running down doesn't really have any rocks or anything really, just grass. But at least there are a couple of broken trees and little stumps on the floor.

I then look to where the squirrel is running to. It is nice and calm there is a big lake and bushes and bushes of blossom berries. If I go there I could live until the end of the Games! I think with joy. I throw one of my throwing knives. Then the unexpected happens, the knife comes back.

The knife is coming back faster than I threw it. I quickly doge away from the knife where it hits the floor. The problem is that the knife is not supposed to bounce back to me. I then realized the truth about where I'm running to. I'm not running into a beautiful place where I can eat and drink forever, I'm running into the force field.

There is so much force that is making me run faster. The hill is steep enough to make me stop and hit the force field. I try to stop running but I can't. The gravity is bringing me down and I feel like I can't stop running. I start to panic but my mind doesn't stop working. I try to think fast because in a couple of seconds I'll be running into the force field.

I think about what I've got. Most of my weapons and my pack. I then quickly grab the longer knife that I got from Miller. I then trip on the floor and stick the knife into the ground. At first the knife start to break the ground but I see a rock that is bound to hold my weight, which now is barely anything. The squirrel then moves over and escapes into the forest. I see the rock, move over and then my knife gets jammed into the rock. The knife jammed in just in time because when I look at my foot, it's only an inch away from the force field.

I remove my knife from the rock and take a deep breath in to relieve myself. I then get off the floor and start to walk up the hill again. I was so scared to that I am no longer hungry just thirsty. Once I finish walking up the hill I lead myself up the hill and to the big lake. I refill my bottle and start to boil my water. I had to be extra careful when making the fire because of my bandages; I almost lit them on fire.

After I finish eating, I think of Paige and the paintings. I force myself to get up and try to find any other type of berries except of the thusumberries. I find some blossom berries and squish them into paint. I also take a couple of the berries and put them into my pouch and then into my mouth. I walk about a half a mile away from the squirrel area and the berry bushes.

I paint about every tree and lead them to either very close to the end of the arena or to a place where they is no water of food. Hopefully I will bring tributes together or further away from the food that keeps me alive.

It's dark and the swelling in my mouth has gone done a little. My rash is still the same; some of it is peaking out of my bandages. I start walking and try to find another tree. When I finish climbing the tree, I take out my rope and start tying myself to the tree.

I then see a tiny gray parachute land on the floor. I look around to see if it was meant for someone else. I untie myself as quickly as possible and I take two knives with me. I climb off the tree and run to the gift. I then run back and climb to the tree to open the gift, which I'm hoping is meant for me. I re-tie myself to the tree and open the gift.

I first check if it is not something poisonous. Sometimes when the other tributes get gifts from sponsors, they empty out with whatever was inside and then put something else. It's usually sleeping syrup. The tributes give it to another tribute and then once the tribute eats it all they fall asleep and get killed.

That is how Buck died in his Games. It was the fifth day into the Games and Buck was starving. On the other hand the victor received the sleeping syrup. He must have wanted to take over the arena and win already, so he gave it to some of the tributes to eat it and one of those tributes were Buck.

Buck was sitting in a tree and then the gift came right next to him. But the truth is that the victor was right on top Buck's branch. Anyway, Buck opened the syrup and ate most of it. Buck then feel asleep as fast as a light flickers out of my house.

The victor waited and then he speared Buck right in the heart. But the victor didn't stop there; he did that to more of the tributes. I think about two more of the tributes died in the same why. Since Buck nearly ate all of the sleeping syrup, the other two tributes were only drowsy so the victor had to fight with them until they died. I can't use that method because all of the tributes in the same arena as me were alive that year and probably saw the Games.

I check the container extreme caution. It is a cream that I have never seen before. It must be some Capitol stuff. I smell the cream but it has an unbearable odor. Before I put on the cream I find a note.

"Good job staying alive. Put this on your rash. Thank me later."

-O

O? It takes me a while to know who it is but it is obvious, Orford. The only reason I trust this container is because it has Orford's name on the note. Or on less it was Steven's. I check the trees next to me and I look above me. Now that I trust this gift, I carefully remove the bandages. When I do remove the bandages I try to be careful not to hurt myself or anything like that. Once all of the bandages are removed I on put the cream on the rashes on both of my hands. I put on new bandages.

Then anthem plays and there are no deaths today. I wait for a while it see if anyone is around me. Just to be extra safe I pack everything and start to search the tree. I go to the higher part of the tree and start to check who is there. I find no one.

I then go the tree next and check it as thoroughly as I can. I go back to my original tree and then to the tree next to it. I find no one again. There is really no point of checking the area if I already put on the cream but I could stay awake for a while.

I go back to my tree and stay awake for a while. I try not to move and I even pretend that I am asleep. I keep on doing this for about an hour. I look around the area to entertain myself since I'm now not even tried. I also look around to see if anyone is coming this way.

Other tributes love to hunt during the night, especially with the night vision glasses that the Capitol gave to the tributes in the pack. If I'm hunted during the night then I'll be killed easily. Just thinking about myself being killed scares me to death. I then look through my pack and find the glasses. Just in case I put them on and start to relax. I fall asleep just as if my mother were here.

 _ **No one has died, again. Sorry about the weird name for the berries but that was the first thing that came to my head... Anyways, yes the berries that I made up for this story is in of Ginger's worst enemies (not really because their food but you know what I mean, I hope). Ginger also had her first sponsor, which was a big step for Ginger.**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Dead: 14**_

 _ **Alive: 8**_

I wake up in complete darkness. I start to freak out but and then I realize that I have the night vision glasses. I remove my glasses and put them inside my pack. I look at the bandages and remove the bandages. The rash is almost completely gone. So is the swelling in my mouth. The only reason that the swelling is nearly gone is because the thusumberries didn't stay in my mouth do so long.

I don't even untie myself but I take out a couple of throwing knives and then start to throw them to the branches. If I do unto myself then I will start moving around. If I could throw then sitting down without moving, then I could do it standing up. At least that is what Gael taught me.

When I was younger Gael taught me a little trick. I was nine years old, I could throw pretty well but I would miss every once and awhile. Gael then taught me the sitting down trick. He would take me to the woods and while he was hunting. Gael would tell me to sit down and try to throw the knife at the target. He would carve a target on the nearest tree and I would try a tree.

"How am I supposed to throw the knife in the tree of I'm sitting down?" I asked Gael the first time I did the training.

"That's the point of this."

"Then why am I doing this, I don't see the point of your training."

"If you can hit in the perfect place when you're sitting down on the floor, then you'll be perfect when you stand up."

"Did you do that when you didn't know anything about throwing the spear?"

"No the spear is different than throwing knives. Also your throwing knives are much lighter than my spears. Now you stay here and throw your knives while I go and hunt."

"You'll be back right?"

"Of course, now get going. You have a lot of work to do." Then that day I was hitting the tree while Gael was hunting. I would practice that technique about three times a week and eventually I became good at throwing knives while I'm sitting down and while I'm standing up.

Thanks to Gael can now throw knives better than I did. I never thought that the training exercises, that I hated, would be my entertainment in the Games. Actually I never thought that I would be in the Games at all, like my parents and Gael. At least now eat normal and without pain or with the feeling that my tongue is bigger than my mouth.

I get off my tree and check my pouch. The pouch is nearly empty and the remains of what was in the pouch are just juice and squished up berries. At least two things happened to the blossom berries. Either they have been squished or they fell out when I had my rash. I had enough berries for days and now they are gone.

I go to where Paige and I used to hunt for squirrels. I find the squirrel pretty easily. I skin it and make a fire. Once the squirrel is cooked take off of its branch a squirrel and start walking to the tree.

I then hear leaves being crushed I think it's me but when I stop walking, I still here them. I walk faster and the crunching gets faster as well. I then start to run and the leaves are being crushed faster. I stop running and I start to walk. The crushing of the leaves start to become slower. I then look around, he sees be before I see him, Spud one of the strongest tributes in the arena, is running straight for me.

I'm so scared that I drop the squirrel and start running. Spud is catching up and I'm losing energy. I'm dodging through trees and moving over branches. He almost next to me but I still keep running away from the food. He then pushes me to a tree, with his hand a couple of inches from my neck.

"Well looks like someone is finally going to end you." Spud says having the spikes of his mace an inch away from my neck. "You may have killed other tributes but you are not going to kill me. Your life is going to end here right now." The spikes of his mace are getting closer and closer to me and I have no time to waste.

"Why are you getting me?" I say.

"Oh, you know why."

"Yes I do but you were an easy target."

"No one messes with me."

"You should be getting the Careers."

"Don't play games with me." I give a small scream and Spud then puts his hand on my neck.

"I'm not playing games with you." I struggle to say.

"Oh, yes you are." Spud then lifts me a couple of centimeters off the ground. I then try to grab the knife. I use the same technique that I used with Burton. I put one of my hands on one of his. I try to lift up my knife but Spud takes it away from me. He then puts my feet to the ground. I can then feel the tip of the knife touching my stomach.

I punch Spud in the stomach and I start running away. He moves back for a minute and then he starts chasing me again. This time Spud doesn't take me by the fist. He grabs me by the waist, while holding my arms, and removes my pack. Spud then throws the pack on the floor. I can't even grab my throwing knives at this point. Spud leaves me weaponless.

"Where do you think you're going? You're leaving yet." says Spud. Then Spud smashes me into a tree. Before he can do it again I punch him in the face. Spud drops his mace, my knife and nearly trips on his own feet.

I am then pushed into another tree again. I really don't know what to do now. Then I hear someone else. Spud turns around and I see that it's Steven.

Steven takes one of his spears and throws it. Spud and I duck and then I run away.

"Hey!" Spud yells. He then chases me, pushes me to the floor. Then a pouch the falls out of his pack. Steven then grabs Spud by his hood, drags him off of me and punches him. Spud gains his balance and runs away, Steven then takes his spear and throws it into Spud's back. His canon then blows.

Before Steven could even turn around, I grab the pouch that Spud dropped and run. I look to inside the pouch and find blossom berries, and quite a few of them.

I go back to the squirrel area and kill one. I skin it, cook it and eat it with some of the berries. Then I start having a huge headache. That must be because of Spud, luckily Steven killed him. I can't let this berries fool me. I can't think I have a lot of food because the truth is that I really don't have food.

That is what happens to tributes, once they find a huge amount of food; they stop hunting until they have a little more. Then famine hits them, they start eating all there food and can't find anything else so they die.

It's getting dark so I put one my night-vision glasses. I go and check my trails in hope of finding something or someone. I will not find someone dead or else I would have heard a canon. I may find someone or something alive and I would probably have to finish them off.

I walk on the trees, just like my father taught me, to check the trails, just so if there is someone, they can't see me as fast. My father only taught me how to go from tree to tree about a year ago. I'm not perfect but I'm okay. Everyone thinks that it is more of a District 11 thing.

Climbing trees are useful for the people in District 10 and even in the other districts of Panem. In District 10 climbing trees are used for tell time or seeing where a twister is. For hunters it is useful for a surprise attack. Also other hunters use it for when we kill an animal and it gets stuck on a tree so we have to climb up to get it.

The first time I tried to climb a tree I fell on my face and broke my glasses. Before that when I used to hit and kill an animal on tree, Gael would climb up and get it for me. I didn't want to ever climb a tree again but I eventually learned how to really climb a tree. I did get a couple of bruises and bumps but I learned and it was worth it. It's worth more to me now that I am on the Games.

I check the first trail, nothing yet. I do find something in the second trail, knives, not throwing knives, just regular ones. They look like Gadge's. They can't be Miller's knives because his handles were green and Gadge's were black, like those.

I get off the tree that I was on and grab the knives and go stand in front of the tree. I start looking at the knives that are nice and sharp. They look good enough to cut through trees. I also realize that these knives are a little larger than Millers and they are even sharper.

I then climb up the tree again, just in case anyone else is watching everything that I'm done right now. Except for all the districts and the Capitol. I feel like in the Games there is no privacy. The Capitol watches my every move; they even put a tracker in my arm.

I then hear a spear hit a tree and I yell. I look to my left and it is right there, the spear was only a hair away from my face. The spear gave me a cut from my left eye to my left ear. Then I realize, that spear was meant to hit my head and kill me. I start to freak out. That was Steven's spear, he was trying to kill me. He is the only one with a spear in the games. I can believe it, he already betrayed me. I look right into Steven's face.

"Hey!" yells Steven. "Ginger it's me Steven you can trust me." he looks worried and afraid. I have a shocked face. He doesn't even sound like he wants to hurt me but like he wants to help me. I feel like shouldn't trust him. Anyway he already broke my trust. He just tried to kill me.

I jump out of the tree and lose the knives. I'm so scared that I don't even climb down it. Steven can shoot another spear any minute. Once I am on the ground I start to run away. I then hear Steven chasing me.

"Ginger wait!" Steven yells. I don't listen to him, I just keep on running. I then hear the crunching of leaves getting lower until I can only hear my feet on the leaves. I then try to find another tree to sleep on for the night.

As I walk the anthem plays and all I see is Spud, I could have also been me but I escaped early enough and because of Steven. I keep on walking wait to find a tree but it needs to be far away from where I was. I then go around the lake and I try to find the perfect tree.

Ever since Paige's death, every time I find the perfect tree I can hear Paige's voice asking me the same question she asked me every night.

"What about that one?" This will haunt me for the rest of my life.

I then climb up the tree and tie myself to it. I feel my cut. The blood has already dried up and formed a thin layer, which I like to call a shield. I take the medicine that was for my rash and I put it on my cut.

There must be a hint of mint inside of this medicine somewhere because when I put it on my eye, it gives me a burning feeling. The ice cold mint is like fire to my sensitive eyes. The burning sensation feels like it is melting my eyes down to its core and that it is completely destroyed. My eye is actually tearing up.

I have to deal with the burning because it gives me hope that my cut will disappear. I'll just wipe up the tears every now and then. My eye tearing up is one of the last things to worry about in the arena.

I fall asleep and I have a strange dream. The uprising never happened and everyone was like the Capitol. Instead of the games, there was a festival and the two people that were picked during the reaping didn't have to fight to the death. They were the leaders of the year. I wake up thinking it was real but then I fall asleep again shortly. I hope the games will just stop one day.

Forever.

 _ **Spud is now dead. Spud was the type of guy that was really strong and powerful but had some flaws. He could be defeated but by someone like him. There was no way that Ginger was going to kill him. I had to bring in Steven or someone stronger, which would be a Career but why would a Career held Ginger? So yes Steven killed Spud and that is it. Now on to the next day of the Games!**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Dead: 17**_

 _ **Alive: 7**_

I see Paige on the floor pinned by Nolan. Paige is yelling my name out.

"Ginger! Ginger! Help me!" I am running trying to get Paige. I yell Paige's name as loud as I can. Then Nolan kills Paige right in front of my eyes. I then try to run but I freeze and I can't move. I then tried to kill Nolan and when he escapes I run to Paige. She tells me her last words and once her cannon blows, my heart shatters. I then yell in in angrier and with a touch of sadness but not in the dream.

I cover my mouth as soon as I scream. I'm hoping with all my soul that no one herd that. I still feel so guilty of how I let Paige die. We should have never separated, I should have helped her. If I did then she would have still been here.

Water, I need water. Thanks to Paige's bottle, I now have doubled my water supply. I get off the tree quickly. I start walking through the forest to go the river and fill both water bottles with water. Once I got both of my bottles filled up I boil the water.

I remember back in District 10, every day, after school, Gael and I used to get water for the whole family. Four gallons for drinking, six for the shower and two for cooking, that is when we had food to cook. It did take a look a long time, since the nearest water source was about a half a mile far.

Gael and I used to carry two gallons each, one for each hand, but it was the best thing that Gael and I ever did. Sometimes my whole family uses to come and it would cut down time by a lot. Every time, I get water, I think about these moments.

I never thought that I would be part of the Games myself, no one ever does. When my named was picked one of the first things I thought is about my cousins. They were both girls and they were about sixteen and seventeen-year-olds. Why didn't they volunteer?

I was in complete fury when I saw them on the crowd. I looked right at them waiting for them to take my place. I could see them hiding in the crowd for me not to look at them or so I won't remember about them. Well they thought wrong the truth is that I did and I thought that they were there for me. Both of them were ranchers and had a good amount of money for people in District 10. They live where my family and I used to live in, the old farms. Then I looked at the girls I know from school, I was never friends with any of them. Then I saw my teacher, she had sorrow in her eyes but I knew that there was nothing she could do.

None of them were hunters. I don't even think that any of them touched a weapon before. There are not even hunters back in the farming areas. Anyway of any of my cousins volunteered for me, they would have already been dead before the countdown finished.

Every hour it is getting hotter and hotter and I can't bare the heat much longer. It feels like a desert. I then go take my pack and take of my bottles. I drink as much water as I can. I then go back to the lake, refill my bottle, make a fire and boil it. The water may evaporate and then there could be no water at all for me or any of the other tributes, not that I care about them.

I just know that in the night, it would be freezing cold and I'll be begging for a sleeping bag. I can't make a fire, especially in the night or else I'll be seen or I'll roll over on the floor in the middle of my sleep and die.

I'm so hot that I need to take a bath, so I do. I walk to the big lake and put my pack down and get ready to take a quick bath. I also wash my hair and put it in the same two braids again.

I quickly get out of the lake put my clothes, put some new bandages on my hands, and grab my pack. I also take out a couple of throwing knives and leave them in my hands, just in case I bump into someone.

I wonder what my family is thinking about. My father must be looking at the screen like a hawk. He must also be biting his lips and folding his hands. My mother must be leaning on my father's left shoulder and biting her nails like crazy. I remember once my mother just stood up just to lean on my father's left side. Finally there is Gael. He must be pacing back and forth with his right hand in his mouth and chewing his nails.

I walk to the squirrel area and try to kill another one of them. I spot a squirrel falling asleep on a tree. I then throw my knife and kill it. I climb the tree and remove the knife from the squirrel and I climb down the tree.

Once I'm on the tree I skin it and cook it with a very small fire. I eat the squirrel and I climb up the tree. I then stay there just in case I feel like to eat more squirrels or just in case I see someone, I'll have plenty of food to camp out. My rashes and bandages are barely there but they burn a little. I remove the bandages. Not that bad. I think. They burn but I can live with it. At least the swelling has gone down. I climb a tree to set in for the night. I then find Mace, Brooke, Steven, Diamond and Alexis.

"Mace we need to find that girl." says Diamond.

"Who?" answers Mace.

"Oh come on." whines Brooke.

"Give me a break." says Alexis.

"Oh Ginger. Don't worry we'll find her eventually." Mace reassures them all.

"Let's just give up on her and find someone else." Brooke says. Everyone looks at her. "What? These Games are not going to last forever. Eventually that Capitol is going to do something."

"Why won't you make more of your traps?" asks Alexis.

"No I can't, she already knows that we make traps." Brooke answers.

"Steven do you know why she is so good?" Mace asks.

"Yea, an eleven-year-old can't be that good in the Hunger Games and not have any training whatsoever." Diamond says while looking right at Steven's face. Her eyes were looking right through Steven's soul.

"Well, all of your districts have training but District 10 is not like that. The only reason why Ginger is so good at hunting and at everything else is because she is a hunter."

"So she illegally hunts in District 10?" Alexis says in excitement.

"No, not really. District 10 allows hunting in the forests. Peacekeepers are there all the time."

"Did you hunt?" Mace asks.

"No."

"Then how do you get so good at hunting, how did you get that ten?" Brooke asks suspiciously as she walks up closer to Steven.

"No, no, I was a rancher. I learned my spear moves when I was fifteen. I would play who sticks outside and then when I went to the Training Center, I realized that they were the same thing."

"Okay." Brooke says unsatisfied. "If you betray me, I'm killing you."

"It doesn't matter, he's still helping us and he's given us a lot of good information."

"That we can use to kill Ginger." Mace adds.

"I don't care; I still don't want no trader on my alliance." Brooke says sternly.

"Neither do I." Alexis says. "You're not going to betray us right because I'm pretty good with this axe of mine." Alexis threatens while twirling her throwing axe in her hands extremely close to Steven's neck.

"Look why won't we just camp out of the night." says Steven. "We have all had a long day so why won't we just sleep." Alexis and Brooke stay close to Steven.

Everyone agrees and they plan to fall asleep, right under me. I am right there. I can't really jump on the branches, my father just started teaching me.

"We should make a fire." Diamond says.

"Isn't anyone going to see us?" Steven asks.

"No one is going to be dumb enough to be messing with us." Brooke says.

"And why is that?" Steven asks.

"Because all of us got a ten or a nine on the individual assessment, even you Steven."

"Okay, who's going to get the fire wood?" Alexis asks.

"All of us. No one else is here so it doesn't matter." Mace says. I get up and try to escape to another tree but tree's leaves are getting crisp because of the cold air that is blowing.

"Who's that?" Diamond asks.

"There's someone here. It's either Ginger or Carter.

"I'll go up and climb the tree." Brooke says.

"Okay go and get whoever is up there!" Alexis says. Brooke then starts to climb up the tree. If I escape, those the leaves will start moving. Brooke is almost near my branch. I can't kill her or else I will grab the attention of the other tributes.

I see Brooke's hand and it's nearly touching my branch so I just do what anyone else would do. Once Brooke puts her hand on the branch I kick her foot off the branch. Brooke then loses her balance and falls to the floor.

"Brooke!" Diamond shrieks. "Are you okay?" She then asks.

"Yes, I'm fine." Steven then tries to help her up. "I said that I'm fine! I don't need any of you helping me get up."

"Well since we know that someone may be here, we can't leave this place alone." Alexis says.

"Okay, Alexis and Brooke, you'll stay here and keep one watch. Diamond, Steven and I will go find firewood and possibly some food." Mace says.

"Why do I need to go with you? Why can't I stay with Brooke and you can take Alexis with you?" Diamond whines.

"Because Brooke and Alexis are the most aggressive." Mace answers. "Come on, we need to find food and we need all the help we can get."

"Well you don't need to find food." Steven says.

"And why is that?" Brooke asks in suspicion.

"Because I found some blossom berries." Steven answers. Great they found my breakfast. Thank you for doing my work. I think.

"What are blossom berries?" Brooke asks.

"Berries that grow in District 10." Steven answers.

"Okay, Diamond, you stay here and collect the berries. Steven and I will go and find some fire wood."

Once Steven and Mace come back they bring lots of firewood with them. Then all five of them start eating blossom berries and talking over the fire.

"What should we do tomorrow?" Diamond asks.

"Try to kill anyone that we meet." Brooke says.

"Okay and then what happens when we kill Ginger and Carter?" Steven asks.

"That is if we do find them." Alexis says.

"Why do you say that?" Mace asks.

"Carter's mentors were the morphings, the masters of hiding. Ginger can hunt and she can hide." Alexis answers.

"Then we have to find then faster so we can kill them and go." Diamond says.

"Yes but I don't want to turn on each other yet." Mace says.

"Me either, but I'm doing anything to get home." Brooke says.

"Let's not think about that now. Let's just enjoy what we have now." Steven says sternly.

"Okay someone should keep watch." Mace says.

"I'll go and keep watch." Brooke says.

"Okay, don't fall asleep. If you feel like your tried then wake one of us up. If you fall asleep then whoever is here will escape." Mace says.

"I won't let you down." Brooke says.

The anthem plays but no one is killed today. It is not going to be like that tomorrow. Then I shut my eyes and try to fall asleep.

 _ **The Careers are now camping out under Ginger. I know that you may think that Ginger kicking Brooke's hand was dumb but if Brooke got up to that branch, she would have seen Ginger and kill her. Now how is she going to get out of there...**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Dead: 17**_

 _ **Alive: 7**_

All of the left over Careers are still sleeping under the tree that I am in when I wake up. The only who isn't sleeping is Steven. I guess Broke got tired and then she told Steven to guard the tree. I am not going to trust Steven. If Steven was working with me then I would trust him.

I can't risk climbing down, because if I drop something, I'll be roasted. I look into my pack and only find a couple of berries. The bushes are right under me. When the Careers leave, I'll just pick some and keep on walking. So I just stuff them into my mouth. I'm up for about half an hour and the Careers finally start to wake up. I look down to see what there are doing.

"What are we going to do now?" asks Brooke once she is fully awake.

"Maybe," Alexis says, "We can get up and start killing."

"Well we'll kill when the time is right. What should we do Diamond?" asks Brooke.

"Well," she starts. "We can start hunting-"

"For tributes!" Alexis blurts out.

"No, for some berries and water." Diamond says.

"Look I'm tired of eating berries, we need to hunt for something else but I don't know what. The berries that we ate yesterday were okay but we have been eating berries ever since the Games started. What do you think we should do now, Steven?" Mace asks.

"We should try hunting for animals but I have never seen one before. Also none of us have good weapons to hunt for birds and squirrels. But Mace, you can use your trident to hunt for fish in one the lakes here." he answers.

"Well that does sound like a good plan, what do you think Mace?" asks Brooke.

"Yes, I do that we can do it." answers Diamond instead of Mace.

"Do any of you think that there are any dear here?" Steven asks.

"No why?" Diamond asks.

"Because if I did see a dear then I could kill it. A spear is only good for hunting bigger animals. In order to hunt for smaller animals I need something like bow and arrows or throwing knives."

"There are some at the Cornucopia." Diamond says.

"That doesn't matter, none of use know how to use it." Mace.

"What about Alexis?" Brooke insists.

"Why me, why can't Steven throw knives?" Alexis asks.

"Your weapon is a throwing axe, there bound to be the same. If you can throw an axe then you can throw little knives." Diamond says.

"Maybe I can try. When we go back to the Cornucopia, I can try. Doesn't mean that I can throw an axe, doesn't meet that I can throw knives." Alexis says.

"Why do you say that aren't throwing knives and axes the practicality the same exact thing?" Brooke asks.

"No I tried then in the Training Center. The throwing axe is slightly heavier than the throwing knives. Also I have been training with a throwing axe all my life. I can't just switch my weapon." Alexis tells all of the other Careers.

"We can't just give up or anything like that." Steven says.

"I wish I killed Ginger when I had the chance." Mace says.

"You encountered Ginger and you didn't kill her? How couldn't you kill her, she's half your size!" Brooke exclaims in anger.

"When did you meet her?" Steven asks.

"I met her at the Bloodbath. I was in the Cornucopia and Ginger just finished hurting Burton. She was about to run out of the Cornucopia and-" Mace then gets cut off by Diamond.

"Did this happen with she was running out and I was running in?" Diamond asks in concern.

"Yes, anyway Ginger was about to run out and then I tried to hit her worth my trident but she kept on dodging and left to go and end Burton. I tired chasing her be she was moving so much so and then I just gave up and ran back into the Cornucopia to get some extra things."

"I guess we should get going." Steven.

"I agree with Steven. Let's go and find some food to eat. Then we will hunt for tributes. Let's go, now." says Mace.

"Finally." says Alexis. The Careers get up and start leaving. Finally, I was getting tired of waiting up here. I get off of the tree and go to the blossom berry bushes and I take out my knives for a little hunt. I grab my pack and just when I am about to put it on, it falls on the floor. The Careers turn back and look at me. I'm toast. I think. Now I'm really toast.

"There she is!" yells Alexis just when I am going to pick up my pack. Steven then takes his spear and throws it right through my pack, almost through my hand. I then grab my throwing knives, along with my other weapons and run. There are all chasing me and I am running somewhere I have never been before, another side of the arena. I'm moving trees out of my way and I am slowing down. Steven's other spear then falls on the floor and Brooke trips on it and gets wounded, seriously. Everyone stops to help her and she is losing a scary amount of blood.

"Wait Alexis!" yells Mace.

"Brooke's hurt!" screams Diamond.

"Come back!" cries Steven.

"No, you guys have held me back for so long and now I'm going to do what I want!" Alexis says and she continues running. Alexis is coming to me like a wolf. I trip on a rock and when I get up, she I right in front of me. "I have been waiting to do this for a long time." She then swings her axe I duck but her axe gives me a severe cut on my arm. Alexis throws her axe and it hits a tree, she tries to get it but I trip her with my foot.

I try to get up and run but Alexis pushes me down. I then kick her in the stomach and I move back. Alexis then takes a boulder and drops it on my foot. I scream because of the pain that my foot is in. I then throw a knife right into her heart and then her canon blows. I remove the boulder and try to stand up. I hurts terribly but I can walk on it. I then walk to Alexis. I take her pack and see what is inside. Nothing, not a single thing. I have to go to the Cornucopia tonight.

All of things I had in my pack, all the hard work, it's gone, all gone. At least I grabbed my weapons in time, my throwing knives, a longer knife and a mace. I start walking to the Cornucopia with Alexis' pack. I'm completely lost and I don't know where I'm going.

I had no idea where I was going until I found my trails. If my trails were going away from the Cornucopia, then I should travel the opposite way. I knew these trails would be useful for something.

No one is at the Cornucopia, well not yet. I start running to the Cornucopia, almost tripping on myself, and once I get to the inside I start checking for hidden tributes. There is no one. I take some bandages, an apple, a pair of night vision glasses and a bottle and I stuff them in it my pack.

I get out the of the Cornucopia and then I go back in. The Careers come and camp in, I hide behind a crate. Brooke can barely walk on her own, so Diamond and Steven help her walk while Mace makes a little bed. They lie Brooke down, who looks half way dead because of her wounds, and she falls asleep in a breeze.

"How long do you think she is going to last?" asks Mace.

"She'll be lucky to live until tomorrow night." answers Steven.

"Speaking of team mates, where is Alexis? I heard a canon." asks Diamond in concern.

"Maybe she killed Ginger or maybe Carter died." answers Mace.

"Then Alexis would have come back to the Cornucopia, we told her before we camped out." says Diamond.

"You never know, they both got the same score and they both have good moves. Let's relax and wait for the anthem to play and then we will see what happened." answers Steven. I look around to see what I can do. I have been here for about ten minutes and I can't bare it here any longer.

I start crawling away from the crates and out to the entrance of the Cornucopia and wait. None of them were paying attention and I try to start running to trees. I then fall down onto the floor. All of the stuff that was in my pack spill and I frantically put them all back inside. I continue running into the forest close to the Careers.

Once I am in the forest, I climb a tree and tie myself. I then take the bandages that I took and put then all over my cut and my foot. I'm hoping that is will not affect my hunting or else I'll have to eat berries for the rest of the Games. I can't eat the apple or else I'll have nothing to eat at all in the morning, so I just starve like I am at home.

Then a parachute comes and lands on the branch above me. My second sponsor! I open it and what's inside is what I need a piece of pork, my favorite. I read the note inside.

"Great job, enough hunting for today. Take a little break and treat yourself."

-G

I have no idea who it is until I smell the spice that I am named after, ginger, my mother secret recipe for making meat. I check the meat; it has the District 10 symbol on it. How could they have afforded it? My parents haven't taken meat from their shop in years and now they did, for me.

I put it away for tomorrow and I eat my apple. My mother wanted to name Gael Ginger if he was a girl but since he was a boy my mother stayed with the g. Gael then saw how much my mother loved the name Ginger, so he named me Ginger. She puts ginger spices on anything she can, a sweet treat, meat and the badge mushy stuff to give it real flavor.

But now I'm different. Before I came here I had a little more weight. I had not cuts or rashes. I didn't even hurt the flies, which annoyed me very much. Now I am skinny, have cuts and rashes, and which burned. I also had swelling, which I haven't had for a long time. Now I kill anything or anyone that can kill me.

The anthem plays and I can see Alexis. Now the Careers know whose canon that was for. I could hear the Careers talking about Alexis' canon.

"It was Alexis that died?" Mace said.

"How could that be?" Diamond asks.

"Never one that, what are we going to tell Brooke?" Steven asks.

"Tell me what?" Brooke asks.

"Alexis is dead, Ginger killed her." Diamond says.

"Oh, okay." Brooke says. I then see a small sliver object falling to the ground in front of the Careers.

"A gift!" Diamond exclaims.

"Well it's about time." Mace says.

"Maybe it's for Brooke; whatever is in there could save her." Steven says.

"Give that to me." Brooke then reads the card. "Yep, it's for me." Brooke then opens the other containers. I think that it is food and medicine.

"At least now you'll get to live longer." Diamond says.

"Thank you!" Brooke says. She then tries to get up. Once Brooke is on her own two feet, she then takes a bow.

Now there are only six of us left. Diamond, Mace, Brooke, Carter, Steven and me. I fall asleep thankful for my gift.

 _ **Alexis was the girl that felt like she was held back by the other Careers. She would always like to hang around with Brooke because was like her, a girl that wanted to fight and kill. Alexis was impatience and that is what made her die today. Also some of you may be thinking, "How could Ginger kill Alexis?" Remember I never said how old Alexis was or her physical description. Your version of Alexis may be different than my version. I just wanted to make that clear and now for the next day of the Games! :)**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Dead: 18**_

 _ **Alive: 6**_

I always wonder how my family is taking this; me in the Games must really be hard for them to take in. Every time I look at my bracelet, I think about my home and family like Maximus said. No one must miss me except for my father, mother and Gael. I have been here already for eleven days.

District 10 must have high hopes because both of their tributes are alive, not just me. Only three more days until one of us remains, that is if the Games don't go on longer. I don't want the Games to be that long. Sometimes the Games can last for almost three weeks but after that the Capitol gets inpatient and wants some action.

The question I always ask myself when I'm here is, will I live for another day or will I die and never see my family again? At this point I have seen what no eleven-year-old should see in person.

From my treetop I can see what the Careers are doing.

Ever since I was picked I was hoping that this year's games would be like Orford's. He said that it was cold and that it was very bloodless and that meant no action, which the Capitol hated.

The only action was the Cornucopia and most of the others would then freeze to death. I would rather freeze to death than be impaled. Ever since the action less Games, the Gamemakers have done the Games like the woods, to have wild fires and mudslides.

I think that the Games should stop. I think that living in poverty is enough. The only reason why President Snow, a tall, white, thin man with white hair, blue eyes and with the heart of snow, let's there only be only one victor is so we can be against each other. That is the same reason that there is a prize, so the districts can go against each other. I wish everyone would see it.

I find some blossom berries and put them into my pack. I then take the meat that my family gave me and I cook it. I leave the Careers so I can cook the meat well. I find a place that is not too far from the Careers.

It takes me almost twice as long to cook it because the Careers are pretty near, so I can't make any distractions for them or else they'll find and kill me. The only good thing about being close to the Careers is that I can hear their plans and who they are planning to kill next.

Once I finish cooking the meat I start eating all of it. I'm only eating this all since I have some berries in my pack. I then get up and try to find the big lake to refill my bottle. Now thanks to Alexis I only have one bottle again. I could go and get the pack again but that could be too risky.

I go to the lake and refill my bottle. Now I'll have to come here twice as much than I had to do before. Once I have the water in my bottle, I make a small fire and start to boil it. Once I finish boiling the water I step on the fire to put it out.

"Who should we kill next?" asks Steven once I get back around the Careers.

"Ginger?" asks Diamond.

"No she's too hard to get." says Mace.

"Then Carter," Diamond says. "He is all alone, so he'll be easier to catch, than Ginger."

"And why is that, Ginger is all alone as well." asks Mace.

"Maybe we can split up. One group can try and kill Carter and then the other group can try to kill Ginger." Brooke says.

"Looks like that medicine is really helping you." Diamond says with joy. It's true what Diamond says. Yesterday Brooke looked like she was halfway dead but today she looks so much better. Her wounds are still visible but she is not pale like she was yesterday. Brooke's sponsor but have been really rich to have medicine that works that fast. After all she is from a Career District.

"Yea, it's making me look more human." Brooke says.

"Before we start hunting for tributes, do we at least have food?" Mace asks.

"Yes we do, some of the blossom berries." Steven answers.

"We need water." Brooke says. "I'm going to get some. Give me all your bottles."

"No." Diamond says while Broke tries to go and get her bottle.

"Why not? I'm strong enough." Brooke says in anger.

"Look at you! You're so weak. You need to go and relax. Just wait until tomorrow. Mace and I can get the water for today. If you're this strong today imagine how strong you'll be tomorrow." Diamond says.

"Fine." Brooke says while dropping her bottle in Diamond's hand.

"So who are we going to hunt?" Steven asks.

"What about Carter?" Mace asks.

"No he can run away swiftly. Carter can climb and everything. It's going to take a while." Brooke says.

"I don't think so." Steven says.

"Why?" Diamond asks.

"Because Ginger injured Carter during the Cornucopia." says Steven.

"How did she do that?" Mace asks.

"They were fighting over a pack so Ginger took one of her knives and threw it at Carter's leg. I saw almost everything they she did. She almost died in the Cornucopia." Steven says.

"How did she almost die?" Brooke asks.

"Burton was choking her but she gained power and then chased him before killing him." says Steven.

"Come on Mace lets go and get the water, give us your bottles." Diamond says while Mace starts to collect Brooke's and Steven's bottles.

"Oh by the way when we come back we are going to go and hunt for Carter." Mace says.

"That is if we don't come back to late." Diamond adds. Mace and Diamond then leave Brooke and Steven alone to guard the Cornucopia. I would run to the Cornucopia but Steven has his spear and he is pretty good at aiming.

I just wait for Diamond and Mace to come back with the bottles filled up. I wait for about half an hour before they both come back. By the time they do come back it is already sunset.

"There nice and filled." Diamond says.

"It took us forever to find a lake but there is one right around here. It's nice and big and it could supply us for days."

"Perfect." says Steven.

"Well it's only the start of the sunset so let's go and hunt!" Brooke says will enthusiasm.

"No it's already too late for us to go hunting." Mace says.

"What do you not understand about that it is that start of sunset? Let's go!" Brooke says.

"No buy the time we come back to the Cornucopia it's already going to be dark." Mace says.

"Then we can use the night-vision glasses and then we can hunt all night!" Brooke says in even more excitement.

"We don't have enough for all of us." Steven says.

"How many do we have then?" Brooke asks angered.

"Two." Diamond answers.

"Then why can't Steven I go hunt the other tributes?" Brooke asks.

"We cannot separate to go and hunt." Mace says.

"Mace is right, Brooke." agrees Steven.

"Fine but just to let you know if we don't hunt for tributes tomorrow, I'll wake up early in the morning and hunt myself." Brooke warns.

"Like Alexis?" Diamond asks.

"Yep, just like Alexis." Brooke answers.

"And we all know how that turned out." Steven says. He then starts laughing. Brooke then slaps his arm.

"I'm not letting your District partner kill me." Brooke says sternly.

"Relax I didn't say that." says Steven.

"Okay about tomorrow what should we do? Hunt or not? I need to know so I can make plans." Mace says.

"Oh we're hunting alright. Don't even think about changing the hunting part. I didn't come here for nothing." Brooke admits.

"What do you mean, you volunteered for a reason. Not because you woke up one day and said 'Today would be a good day to die.'" Steven says. He then starts laughing but Brooke slaps his arm again.

"I volunteered and put my name for the tesserae many times." Brooke says

"Why did you do that?" Diamond asks.

"So my family can have more food that they can eat. Also no one who is reaped wants to be in the Hunger Games. Why are you so concerned? You also volunteered." Brooke says.

"That was different." Diamond says.

"So we can sleep early today and then hunt tomorrow." Mace says.

"Good, hopefully Carter and Ginger aren't awake by that time." Brooke mischievously says.

They all are then getting ready for bed. I have been in this tree for most of my day. I am going to do something that could kill me but it is worth a try, it will help me for tomorrow. Once the Careers are asleep, I untie myself and a start walking until I am next to my pedestal. I then start running to the Cornucopia to get extra supplies.

Once I am at the Cornucopia I grab two apples for tomorrow. I stuff the apples into my pack and then I get ready to run outside. I then drop some weapons which was the only way into getting into the Cornucopia. It was also the only way of getting out.

I then think of what to do. I then see the crates. The crates make a little trail out to the Cornucopia. I look around to see if there is another way to escape to Cornucopia but there isn't.

I see one crate and jump on it. This reminds me about the Training Center when there were tables and the trainers were trying to hit me with a baton. Once I am on the crate I bet that the citizens of the Capitol are cheering and all three screens are at my face.

I jump from one crate to another. Then once I am running out of crates I jump off one of them and start running back to the tree. As I am running I'm hoping that I won't fall or anything like that.

Once I get back to the tree I climb it and check if my apples were squished or not. I open my pack and check and they are okay. It's tempting not to eat one of them but I don't. The apples are for tomorrow and for tomorrow's adventure. The sun then sets and nightfall begins.

I try not to fall asleep so I can hear the anthem and see if any of the tributes are dead or not. If Carter dies then I will be the one who will be hunted down. That is if the Careers even knows if he's dead. They're sleeping so they won't hear the canon. Unless then canon was louder than usual.

Sometimes when there are not that many tributes left and one dies the canon is louder. That usually happens when a large group of people are asleep. Then the canon will wake up all of the other tributes and let them know that someone has died. Then the actual action begins. Tributes chasing each other or turning on each other but that rarely happens.

The anthem plays and I don't see anyone. I fall asleep laughing, 'he'll be easier to catch than Ginger', I think. I'm not too hard to get, they just don't know how to find me. This is the best part about being young, you can't be found as easily as the others. The only disadvantage is that it is rare that I can win. But I hope this year is going to be different.

 _ **Nothing really happened in this chapter except for learning that Brooke was doing the tesserae so she could get reaped. This may not make sense but Brooke did this because most people that get reaped don't want to be in the Games at all. So she was going to try and trick all of the other tributes that she was weak but once she got into the arena, Brooke was going to unleash her true self. Brooke was very impatience and just decided to volunteer instead. I hope all of that made sense. :)**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Dead: 18**_

 _ **Alive: 6**_

When I wake up, the Careers are already awake and are eating breakfast. The Careers have good hearing so if I make a sound, they'll no I'm here and then I'm a goner. I quietly untie myself from the tree. Once I do I grab some blossom berries but I only have a couple in my pack. Great I guess know I have to go hunting, again. I think.

I take my bottle and take a sip or two of it. Once I finish drinking water I realize that most and almost all of my water is gone. Now I have nothing, no food or water. I have so much work to do now. I now get off of my tree to go and try to find some supplies to have a better chance of living.

I walk closer to the Careers, to hear what they are saying. I stand right behind a tree so I get start hunting after the Careers are done talking. Waiting for the Careers to talk about who they want to kill reminds me about when Gale and I were hunting.

It was only two months ago when one hunter saw it. They were many dear around District 10 and the Capitol wanted a lot of them for a new clothing line. Dears haven't been hunted for years but there was a whole herd of them in the deeper part of the forest.

The Peacekeepers order that all hunters had to go deeper into the forest, no matter how old you were. So I had to go with Gael into the forest. My mother was worried that I would get hurt but my knife throwing skills were very good. That is what kept me alive for so long, hunting for hours and hours with Gael.

Gael, I and all of the other hunters had to go deep into the woods. The main problem was that none of the hunters knew if we were even going to survive hunting for dear.

The deeper we went into the jungle, the more danger there is. They are bears, dangerous snakes and many insects that could kill you with only a couple of stings. Not all of the hunters made it out alive.

I remember one was ripped apart by a bear. Once the bear finish killing that hunter, it ate five more. The Peacekeepers then shot it to death.

"Next time you hunters should do your own job." A Peacekeeper said with an attitude. She then ordered Gael and some other hunters to pick the bear up.

After that Gael and I had to go and hunt for some dear. That day we found four dear lurking around. Only three of the dear were nice but the last one wasn't that pretty. When the Peacekeepers came around to check the food I taped Gael.

"What is it?" He whispered.

"I bet that they are going to take the three nice looking ones and leave us with the nasty looking one." I whispered back.

"Me too." He said. Turns out that Gael and I were both right. We had to take home the ugly looking one. The dear looked like and old one, half rotten and it had a broken leg. I spotted it around a couple of bushes trying to rest and then that's when I threw the knife. The other three were caught by Gael. You can't really catch anything that big and fast with some throwing knives, you need a spear. I then hear the Careers and their schemes.

"If we see Ginger, then we will kill her, without hesitation." says Mace.

"We can't plan like that." Steven says.

"Why not?" Diamond asks.

"Because Carter and Ginger are left. We can't just be hunting for one tribute or else we will never find any of them." Steven says.

"Okay, I kill anyone I see." Brooke says.

"As long as that person isn't me." Diamond says. All Brooke does is smirks and chuckles.

"Then it's Carter, or Ginger it depends who we find first. Then it's only us and-" Steven's voice is then cut off. I freeze and my lips turn white. He saw me. He looked right into my eyes.

"What is it now Steven?" Brooke impatiently asks.

"Nothing."

"Okay then tell me what you were going to say."

"I guess we will have to turn on each other." Steven continues.

"Well then, let's go!" Brooke says with excitement.

"Okay, fine let's go." Diamond says with less excitement.

"Remember the first one we see." Mace strictly says. The Careers start to walk away. I get ready to go and follow them. I start to walk closer to them.

"Wait!" Diamond says.

"What is it now?" Brooke says.

"Someone needs to go and keep watch." Diamond says.

"What about Brooke and Mace?" Steven says.

"Not me, I don't want to stay here. I want some action!" Brooke says.

"Okay you can come with one of us. Who wants to stay?" Steven asks.

"Mace and I could stay." Diamond insists. Steven doesn't look that that confident as Diamond does.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"I don't care, let's just go. I'm keeping my eye on you." Brooke warns Steven, very strictly.

"Okay Brooke let's start hunting."

"Finally."

"You sound just like Alexis." Steven says. They both start running to the forest on the opposite side of me. I was hoping that they would be running closer to me. Diamond and Mace look around alert every single time and it's going to be hard to go to the other side.

I can't go the long way. I need to go the short way to catch up with Steven and Brooke. I hope they don't have found me or else I am as dead as a hog. It's only Diamond, Mace, Steven, Brooke, Carter and me. When there are a little amount of tributes, the hunting for tributes gets faster and the risk of me getting killed gets higher.

I get out of the woods and start to walk. I am about a couple of feet outside and then I get prepared to run. This is going to be like hunting. I think. I then start running across the Cornucopia hoping that no one will see me. To my surprise I make it across the field.

I walk into the forest and try to find Brooke and Steven.

"We're do you want to go?" Steven asks.

"Be quiet!" scolds Brooke. "If you want to go and find someone then you need to pipe it down." She whispers.

"Fine then." Steven whispers back. I then follow them from a safe distance. I keep on following and following them for about half an hour. They must have been using this place, this is how the Careers must have lived so long.

There is a lake and bushes and bushes of thusumberries, I would have only been able to benefit from the water. This is the same place where I got the allergic reaction to the thusumberries.

I look around and then I spot Carter, eating berries and drinking water. If it wasn't for this place, Carter would have been dead because of his injuries. I try to signal him to run but he can't see me. I don't want Brooke or Steven to kill Carter. I feel bad that I hurt him, it my fault that he is like this.

"Someone has to be here." Steven says. Carter must have noticed that Brooke and Steven were looking for tributes by now. I then look at Carter. He is hiding in a bush with his bow and arrows right by his side.

"Look, I found a pack. Someone is here." Brooke says while holding up Carter's pack. I see Carter with fear in his eyes.

"We need to look around." Steven says.

"Okay, I'll look to the left and you can look at the right."

"Okay." I then grab a rock and throw it. Brooke and Steven then go and follow the sound. Brooke drops the pack. I then wait for the Careers to leave. I take a couple of my throwing knives and kept them in close distance just in case Carter is not my side. I the start to carefully walk away.

"I know your there, Ginger." Carter says. I freeze and then I turn around. "You could be my ally." I still hold my knives in my hand. Carter then drops his bow and arrows on the ground.

"Okay, I trust you." I say. I walk closer to Carter but I still keep my weapons close at hand.

"Why did you save me?" Carter asks once I sit down on the ground.

"Because I felt bad about the Cornucopia, so now we are even." I answer.

"Do you want some berries?"

"No I can't, I'm allergic to them."

"I know, I was there when you got your reaction. Oh and here you go." Carter takes out a throwing knife.

"It was you in the tree." I say shocked.

"Who did you think it was?" Carter asked surprised.

"Possibly Spud, you know because in District 11 there are orchards and they need to climb trees."

"Well it was me, my mentors were the morphings."

"I know, I thought that I would never even see you after the Cornucopia."

"How did you live in the arena for so long?" Carter asks suspiciously.

"I am a hunter so that helped me live." I answer.

"You're from District 10 right?"

"Yes, Orford was my mentor."

"Oh I thought you were from a different district. So it was because of meat, right?" Carter asks me.

"Yes and I don't really like to talk about it." I answer.

"Sorry for asking."

"It's not your fault. So all you have been eating was berries with some water?" I ask trying to change the subject.

"Yes, what have you been eating?"

"Berries, squirrels and water."

"How, did you make any traps?"

"Yes, I'm a hunter. I also learned a couple of things from the Training Center."

"That's cool. When did you start hunting?"

"I was about 7." I say.

"That's really young. Was it a rule change?"

"Yes. What did you do back at District 6?"

"I was training to be a conductor."

"Was it fun to train to be a hunter, it wasn't fun to train as a train conductor."

"I was okay." Carter says. It then starts to get dark.

"We should get ready to fall asleep." I say.

"Okay." Carter then goes in the bushes and prepares to fall asleep.

"You sleep on the ground?" I asked shocked.

"Yes, where do you sleep?"

"In a tree."

"Well that's not comfortable."

"Do you want to be comfortable or alive?" I ask while I climb a tree. Carter then climbs with me. Once we are on top the anthem plays and I see no one on the screen. All I know is that there is going to be a Feast and one of us is going to die.

 _ **Carter and Ginger are now allies. Basically Ginger just felt sorry for Carter (which is not something to do in the Hunger Games since only one can come home but that is just her personality) and didn't want him to die. The Games are coming to an end... Who will be our next victim? (Well that was a little creepy... but on to the next chapter!)**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**Dead: 18**_

 _ **Alive: 6**_

I am tapped on the shoulder a couple of times. I jump in fear and then I remember that Carter is my new ally.

"Why did you wake me up so early?" I ask him. It is so early that the sky is still dark and the sun is just rising.

"Well, what do you think I did every day? The other tributes aren't a wake at this time so I just eat now and relax." Carter answers.

"This may be a paradise for you but for me it is a death zone."

"At least you could get some water."

"You need to eat meat, didn't you hunt?"

"No I need my arrows for other things." Carter answers. I then remember about the ropes and for what o could use them for.

"What about these ropes, we could use them to make traps." I say while showing Carter the ropes that I stuffed in my pack. Out of all the things that were easy to reach, the ropes were the easiest one.

"Where did you get all of these? I only found one in my pack." He asks.

"I got them from a trap that Brooke made, I got trapped in them and since no one was around I took the ropes once I freed myself." I say.

"Impressive. Were they the ones with the rocks on them?" Carter asks me.

"Yes, why?" I suspiciously ask.

"Because I saw the Careers make it, they hang them in almost every single tree in the arena."

"Speaking of how, how did you get the bow and arrows? I didn't see you take them at the Cornucopia on the first day of the arena." I ask.

"I got them one day two, after you smacked Nolan with the sack of apples." Carter admits.

"You were there?"

"Of course since you stole my pack that I got from Miller, I had nothing."

"Then why didn't you just go to the Cornucopia to get your bow and arrows?"

"They was too much fighting and I didn't want to go in there. I'm surprised that you made it out."

"So am I."

"Anyways the next day I set for the Cornucopia. I was then at the edge of the trees and almost on the field. I was going to run but I then saw you running start to the Cornucopia. I then waited to see what was going to happen. Then as you were looking for whatever you were looking for, Nolan creeped out of a crate and then he tried to attack you. He dragged you out but you took power over him and got what you wanted. Then you smacked him with the sack of apples and I started laughing. I thought he actually deserved it. After you left the Cornucopia Nolan left as well so I went to the Cornucopia and got my bow, arrows and a couple of other things that I needed."

"Have you been spying in me?" I ask.

"Well technically I spy on everyone." Carter says.

"Okay well let's get off the tree and start making some traps. Let's make one big one to hopefully catch my than just animals." I say. We then get off of the tree and onto the ground to start making some traps. I use the ropes that I have but I then see Carter taking out his. "What are you doing? Don't take out yours that is what you use to tie yourself to the tree."

"Okay but we can't just have one trap. Why can't I make a snare or something?" Carter asks.

"You can go and look for some rocks. Also if you can, make some snares around the bushes and water. We don't want anyone steal our things. Also give me your bottle; I'll put water inside for you." Carter gives me his bottle and I refill both. Once I do I make a fire and start to boil the water. Once I am done I start making the traps.

I look at the ropes that I have and I start think about the outline. I look around to go and try to find some reasonably heavy rocks and bring them to a tree a couple of yards away from the camp.

I start weaving the ropes together. This trap is going to be slightly tinnier than the one that Brooke made. I put the ropes closer to each other and try to add the rocks in but the pay won't fit. I leave the rocks and come back with the net.

Once I go back to the camp I see Carter on the floor eating some berries.

"What did you do?" I ask.

"I made a couple of traps and snares to protect the water."

"Yes but now we can't stay here."

"Why not?"

"We might get hurt if we are trying to escape."

"From the Careers." Carter says.

"I guess we should start leaving." I suggest. We then pack our bags and I put the net inside my pack.

"Why are you putting your net inside?" Carter asks.

"This net isn't finished yet, so I'll just take it, could be useful."

"Okay let's go." Carter says.

"We should find a nice place to sleep for the night." I say.

"We just woke up a couple of hours ago; we don't need to care about the night." Carter says puzzled.

"We need to think ahead for the night just in case plans change."

"I'm not used to finding places to sleep."

"I am."

Then I hear the voice of Claudius Templesmith. "Attention tributes, there shall be a feast at noon at the Cornucopia." Then his voice leaves as quickly as it came. That's in half an hour from now. Great now we have to go back to the Cornucopia, the place I don't want to go to. It's going to be like a mini Bloodbath.

"Why are they telling us this now?" Carter asks.

"Because the Careers are awake." I answer.

"Why do you refer Steven and the Careers as the Careers?"

"Steven is so strong so I just count him as one. We need to get ready for the mini Bloodbath." I say.

"Okay let's start walking."

"We need to grab the packs as fast as possible. One tribute usually dies during the Feast."

"We should also keep our weapons handy, just in case." Carter adds.

"If we can, we should distract the Careers." I say. An hour later we walk to the Cornucopia and I see the packs, one for District 1, 4 another for 6 and lastly one for 10. Carter and I wait. Now the districts must be on the edge of their seats, the Capitol cheering and our families, worried sick.

I see no one around the Cornucopia yet. I then get out of the bushes and start running. As soon as I start running I can see at the corner of my eye that Carter is right behind me. Then I see Brooke, Mace and Steven. I start to get worried, it not because if the Careers. A scary thought goes into my mind. Who's going to get the District 10 pouch?

I run about half way to the Cornucopia and the fighting begins. I hear the Careers trading messages with each other.

"Steven go and get the pouches, Brooke and I will handle the rest." Mace runs to a Carter and starts to fight with him. I then see Steven trying to go and get the pouches. I try to follow him but Brooke pushes me down to the ground, with all her weight. She has her machete right in her hand and is ready to put it right through me.

She lifts up her machete and hits the ground. She hits the ground so hard that the machete gets stuck, which gives me enough time to take out one of my knives.

I punch Brooke in her stomach and take my knife and slash her face. I get up and run to Steven who tries to take the pouches. Carter then pushes Steven to the floor and takes the District 6 pouch and runs but bumps into Mace at the back of the outer Cornucopia.

Steven and I run to the pouches and the same time. I try grabbing the pouch first but Steven pushes my hand and tries to take it away for himself but the pouch falls on the floor. Steven stops trying to get the pouch, takes his spear and swings it but I dodge just in time. Steven drops his spear on the floor and continues to fight with me. I then trip Steven and run away without the pouch to Carter.

I go to Carter and see that he is still fighting with Mace. I punch Mace on the back of his head, which then catches him off guard. Carter and I then run to the Cornucopia, to the direction of our camp.

Then as I nearly leave the entrance of the Cornucopia I feel a powerful force push me to the Cornucopia. Carter doesn't even notice until I give a horrid scream. It's Brooke. She grabs my knife throwing hand, smashes it to the Cornucopia and breaks it. As much pain that I am in right now, I take my other hand and punch Brooke and run to the pouches.

Once I am on the table where the pouches are, I turn to the floor and try to grab the District 10 pouch but Brooke grabs me by my arms and waist.

"Carter, shoot!" I yell as Brooke drags me into the Cornucopia. I can see the hesitation on his face but Steven and Mace are only a couple of feet away. "Shoot!" I yell as I am dragged to the end of the inner Cornucopia. Carter then sends an arrow flying into the Cornucopia.

I try to shield myself form the arrow. Then it hits, it hits Brooke's back and kills her instantly. A canon blows. I am the only one that knows that Brooke is the one that Carter killed. Everyone in all of Panem must want to know who is alive. My family must be on the edge of their seats.

I then run out of the Cornucopia as fast as I can, grab the District 10 pouch, meet up with Carter and leave the Cornucopia. I turn around and see that Mace and Steven grab the other two pouches.

After running for a while Carter and I stop running and start panting.

"Good aiming." I say.

"Thanks." Carter answers. We then rest on the ground and check what each of us got. I open the pouch and what I see is lifesaving. The whole container is filled with blossom berries. I have never seen so many blossom berries in my life, well that many blossom berries for me.

"What is inside your pouch?" I ask Carter.

"Some medicine, what about yours?" He answers.

"Lots and lots of berries." I show him the blossom berries.

"I have never seen those berries before; I don't think we should eat them. They could be poison."

"No I used to eat them back home." I can tell that Carter still doesn't trust me. I take some berries and plop them in my mouth. Carter waits a couple of minutes to see if anything will happen.

"Okay, they don't look poisonous or anything so I'll eat some." I give Carter a couple of the blossom berries.

It's now about late afternoon and there is nothing to do. I have enough food for days. It's good that the Careers didn't get these berries; they already have enough food for the Games. Carter and I climb a tree and rest for the night.

"You're not sleeping?" asks Carter.

"No I wait for the anthem to play." I answer.

"For what, we need to walk up early tomorrow."

"I like to see if anyone else dies. Besides I need to keep track of the deaths." I answer.

"Okay suit yourself and tell me who else dies in the morning." Carter then falls asleep. I stay awake for the anthem. I wait for about two hours and then anthem finally plays. I only see Brooke's face. I fall asleep thinking about what the Careers are planning to do for revenge.

 **There was finally a Feast! I had to put one because there is just so much action in this part! Okay now let's talk about Brooke. Brooke was a very determined person, well just to win the Games. That is why she killed R** ** _oman_ _on the first day of the Games. She wanted to kill and kill, she didn't really care who you are she will destroy you no matter what. The only thing that she would complain about is why is she not hunting/killing anyone._**


	22. Chapter 22

_**Dead: 19**_

 _ **Alive: 5**_

This time I wake up before Carter, who looks dead tired. I look at my arm and it's red and swollen. I untie myself from the tree and look for some branches. Once I find two branches that are about the same size, I climb back up the tree.

Once I am up the tree I look in my pack and try to find the bandages. I take the branches and put one on each side of my arm. I then take my bandages and secure the branches next to my arm. Thanks a lot Brooke. I think.

Now that Brooke has snapped my dominate arm, I can't throw knives anymore with that hand. I have to now throw knives with my other hand. At least Gael taught me everything I need to know.

When I was about nine and a half, Gael and I were playing in the woods and I brook my dominate hand. Since we were living in the third poorest district, we needed the extra food which I would bring.

Gael then taught me how to throw with my other hand until the other hand was better. I don't really use my other hand at knife throwing so I'm a little rusty at it. I'm just hoping that this is not going to affect me or my odds.

A tribute's odds are numbers that people say to think how long a tribute would live. The odds help people bet on the right tributes. The number is against one, the bigger the first number, the smaller your odds of becoming the victor becomes. Before my examination, my odds were 65-1. Everyone in the Capitol thought that I was going to die at the Bloodbath. After my examination my odds changed to 20-1.

The odds are placed on the morning board. The board tells everything you need to know about the tribute, their picture, their district number, their odds, height and even weight, which isn't that much for me. Every time a tribute dies they get removed from the morning board. So it's only Carter, Diamond, Steven, Mace and I.

The odds usually change throughout the Games. People don't start betting until the Bloodbath ends. Burton's odds were 9-1 and he died in the first day. Anyone who betted on him must have been very disappointed.

The prep team, escorts, stylists or even the tribute's mentors are not allowed to bet for the tributes. Orford did tell me that the mentors like to guess and play around to see who would win. I bet if my family had enough money to bet, they would bet. I hope that they would bet on me.

I start to get hungry but I have no food. I get up and try to wake up Carter. I tap him a couple of times to get him moving. He may not be affected by the berries but I am. Maybe I can eat a couple of squirrels or blossom berries, if I find some.

"Carter, wake up." I say. He just tosses and turns. "Hello?" I say now annoyed. He nearly falls off the tree but I catch him in time.

"Thanks for saving my life." Carter says.

"Come one we need to get moving."

"Okay, okay relax." Carter then takes out something from his pouch, his medicine. I lightbulb then flashes him my head. The blossom berries! I open my pack and take them out.

I feel like a fool now. I was waiting for almost an hour for Carter so we could hunt and I remember that I have lots of berries.

"Here you go." I say. I hand Carter some blossom berries.

"You didn't eat anything yet?" Carter asks as he sees me stuffing berries in my mouth.

"No." I say embarrassed. Carter just starts laughing at me. "What?" I now say annoyed. "I forgot about the Feast." I don't know how but I somehow did forget about the Feast.

"Well why don't we start making traps." Carter starts.

"Okay let's go." I say as I plop the last couple of berries in my mouth.

"You didn't let me finish. I was going to say to start hunting after you finish eating but we might as well go now."

We get off of the tree and start hunting.

"Do you think that you can hunt or catch something with your bow and arrows?" I ask Carter.

Carter looks at his arrows and then says, "I think I could catch a fish or two, I've done it before."

"You lied to me; you said that all you ate were berries."

"I couldn't tell you everything."

"And why not?" I say angered.

"Just in case you would go and turn on me." What other secrets does he have? He must have not shown the Gamemakers everything that he can do. I take a couple of throwing knives and keep them in my hand, just in case.

"Okay never mind that." I say putting the small fit behind us.

"Fine then." Carter says. I can tell that he is still a little angry that he told me one of his secrets.

"What do you think are families think?" I ask.

Carter stops and thinks for a while. "I don't know, I have never thought about that. Maybe worried. What about yours?"

"Scared, very scared for me." I answer.

"Do you think of your family every day?"

"Of course. Sometimes it's all I think about."

"Oh because this is the first time that I thought of them."

"I think we should get going now." I say changing the subject.

"I'll go to the lake." Carter says.

"And I'll go to try to find some rocks." Carter then looks and me puzzled. I sigh. "For the traps to hopefully catch squirrels."

"Oh okay, good luck."

"You too." I say. I then leave to go and find some rocks. The rocks need to be nice and small but not too small. They need to be heavy enough for a squirrel to be caught in but light enough for me to pick up. I take out the rope from my pack. I then stare at it. The ropes make a net that is big enough to catch a tribute.

Instead of small rocks, I'll try and find some big rocks. Hopefully someone like Diamond will get trapped since she is not as strong as Mace and Steven. I look around and I find about eight rocks the size of my hands. I grab the rocks one by one to the net, which I shouldn't have left alone.

I take the rocks and put them inside the groves around the edges of the net. Once I finish with that I take my sleeping rope and cut it in half. I place it in between two trees. With the other half of the rope I climb a tree and tie it to a branch. I then tie the other end the net.

I find some branches and leaves to cover the net. If someone looks at the net then they would hopefully think that it is a branch with a lot of leaves. I then carefully leave the trap. I here yelling and fighting.

"It was you who killed Brooke wasn't it?" says a girly voice. It must be Diamond.

"No it wasn't me!" I hear Carter yelling. I then start running in the direction of his yelling.

"Carter?" I yell back. It may be a trick but he is my ally. He would do the same for me, hopefully.

"Ginger? Ginger!" Carter answers.

"Carter!" I yell again. When I get there I see that Diamond has Carter pinned to the floor.

"What are you going to do?" Diamond asks Carter. I see her scythe only hair away from Carter's face. She can't see me be if she does, she'll kill Carter and then she'll kill me.

I then run to Diamond and push her off Carter. Carter is now okay but now Diamond has me pinned to the floor. I kick her in the stomach but she doesn't even move. I can tell that I hurt her but Diamond wants to look tough.

Diamond then gets furious and sends her scythe right to my face but I grab her hand. Her scythe is getting closer and closer to my face but she is being held back by me. I can't hold her hand any longer.

I then see Carter creeping up behind Diamond. He then grabs Diamond by her waist and drags her away from me. That gives me enough time to grab my knife. I am about to go to Diamond and Carter but as soon as I get up Diamond sends her scythe right through Carter. Carter then falls on the floor and his canon blows.

Before Diamond even has enough time to go and take out her scythe I push her to the nearest tree. Diamond then yells and I try to send my knife through Diamond's face. I then feel someone's hand grab mine. They pull my hand back and my body with it. I then see that the person is, Steven.

I drop my knife on the ground in fear. I then yell and Steven takes me to the other tree and smashes my head to it. I then fall on the ground and black out.

When I wake up it is the late afternoon. For how long was I asleep? How am I not dead by now? I think. It was about noon when Carter was killed but I don't know for how long I was out.

They took everything. The Careers took my pack, all of my weapons, my knife throwing vest and even my jacket. I have nothing to protect me now. I get up and start walking. I have to go where the Careers are. I have to go back to the Cornucopia.

I walk to the Cornucopia. I see the Careers guardian the supplies and all of my things. I can barely see it but I know that it is mind. I can see the pack, my pack, with all of my other weapons, my knife throwing vest and my jacket.

I then take a deep breath, wait for the Careers to not be looking at me and then I run. I run to the Cornucopia and grab my things. Once I grab my things I go to the inside of the Cornucopia and hide. I put on my knife throwing vest and my jacket. I also put one my pack. As I get ready to leave the Cornucopia I grab a couple of knives in my hands in case I bump into the Careers.

As I run out I bump into the crate and all of the weapons fall down. The Careers then look at me and I start running.

"I thought she was dead!" Mace says.

"There was no canon!" Steven yells back. I then hear Mace's trident hit the floor. I then trip on the floor. I turn around and look up to see all of the Careers running at me. I quickly get up and then I run into the forest. As I do I look behind me and I don't see the Careers chasing me.

I run a little more and climb a tree. I check my pack and then I see that everything that I had before I have now. Good. I was hoping that I didn't lose anything.

The Capitol must have been starting the interviews a while ago. Usually when they are only eight tributes left, the Capitol starts to interview the family members of the living tributes. The Capitol would usually ask if they think that their child would win or not.

The interviews also sometimes even give the Capitol a little more Intel about the tribute. This would usually make it easier to plan weapons and to have more action. I don't really know what the Capitol asks the family members since the tributes form District 10 never made it that far.

I tie myself to a tree and wait for the anthem to play. The night is nice and chilly so I take out my sleeping bag from the pack and seek into it. When the anthem finally plays I only see Carter.

Now I am losing hope. All of my allies are now dead. If Steven won't even be my ally, then what chances do I have with Mace or Diamond becoming my ally?

 _ **Carter is gone. Carter was the secretive type of guy. When he was reaped, Carter wore a a sweater and covered his face with it, which shows that he would try to block himself out of the world. Carter did keep some secrets from Ginger, just in case she turned on him or if Ginger and Carter were the last tributes in the Games.**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Dead: 20**_

 _ **Alive: 4**_

I wake up before the sun even rises, so far so good. I eat an apple that I found, some blossom berries and I drink some water before I untie myself. I try to relax myself because the completion is getting really tight. The Games make me sick; I can't even believe that people actually like watching it. I found it quite entertaining before but now that I am in the Games, I don't really like it.

I stay on my tree for a while. I take out some of my throwing knives and start throwing them on a tree branch. My aim is a little off but I think that I'll be fine for the rest of the Games.

In boredom I take one of my throwing knives and start twirling it in my hand. I then see a little bird. I think it's called a robin. The bird is so nice and small. It starts hopping around the tree and its branches. It entertains me for a bit. The robin looks so delicate and innocent. The hopping of the bird makes me forget that I am in the Games but it reminds me of when I used to go bird watching with Gael.

When I was young Gael and I used to go and watch birds during the summer. It's rare for Gael and me to have enough time to go bird watching now. I would go to the woods with Gael and sometimes with my whole family to watch the birds migrate. It's not really that cold during the winter of District 10. It's usually cold in the other Districts, like District 12.

Gael and I would be in the woods for hours and hours. I would be really young so I don't really remember anything. Gael was fifteen and I was only seven. Gael used to then make up stories to cheer me up from hunting all day. I had to kill one once because the Capitol said that they were a danger to country. I don't really know what they were talking about; the birds would just copy the tune of the songs I would sing to then as a kid.

As I got older I would hunt more and not watch any more of the birds come from District 12. The only time I spend with my family is when I work. I talk to Gael when we make errands and hunt. I usually talk to my mother when I help her cook and my father when I help remove the skin of any animal.

The bird then leaves the branch and flies away. It's lucky that it's free and not like me, here to fight to the death. I put most of my throwing knives away in my vest. I then take out the mace, the two knives and put them in a belt for an easier reach.

I start preparing for the day. I have already eaten for the day and I have to ration the rest of my food. I can't be eating crazy. All of my weapons are at reach and my bottle is about half way filled. I'll bump into a stream of water eventually. I think. My pack has everything I need so I'll be fine, hopefully. It's about six o'clock on the morning now and the sun is staring to rise.

I've been the arena for about two weeks now. I want to know how I look like. I must look like a scared little killer. The Capitol and everyone and Panem must have been shocked when I killed Isaac. That is everyone except for my family; they know what I'm capable of. My score may have been a nine but only the Gamemakers know how I got that score. I could have gotten that score by doing other things and using other weapons.

I stay in my tree until the sun has fully risen. Once I untie myself I can't go back up, I don't know if the Careers would be following me. I quietly get off of my tree with my knives nearby and easy to reach. I need to kill Mace; he looks like he is the leader of the Career pack. When he is dead, Diamond and Steven would want to kill me but I will try to kill them. I feel so evil and so different. I have never made a plan to kill someone before. I've only made a plan to kill animals.

I am walking to the Cornucopia but I don't see anyone there. I don't even see the Career's things here. Maybe they are hiding. I think. I walk closer to the Cornucopia, I don't see any traps. I start to freak out. Any minute one of the Careers could come and get me. I may not see anyone but I do weapons. I could use an extra knife. I think temptingly.

I look to my left and to my right, no one. I then dart out of the forest and towards the Cornucopia. I jump over crates, packs and weapons that killed other tributes. Once I am in the entrance of the Cornucopia I grab a knife that I found on a crate. I run away from the Cornucopia. I then see Diamond and she throws a knife but I dodge and it hits the ground.

I look at the throwing knife and realize that it is much more different than my throwing knives. Hers is much slimmer and sharper than mine. I then realize where she got it from. Diamond got it from Mace, from the Feast.

The Capitol gave me berries and the Careers throwing knives, which are much better and easier to throw then mine. I don't care if it was meant for District 1 or for District 4. I am infuriated. I guess the Capitol thought that Steven and I weren't powerful enough or maybe they thought that either Steven or I needed weapons.

I grab the knife but I grab it too late. Diamond runs towards me and pushes me to the floor. The takes her scythe and tries slash me. The scythe only slashes the side of my check. Great another scar to my collection.

I scream and then I punch her in the face. Diamond then moves a little off of me but not enough for me to escape. I then use my knee to kick her in the stomach, just like I did with Isaac. This time when I do Diamond falls to the floor. I then get up and run away from Diamond.

I start running away from her I try to go back the tree that I was in. I then trip on a pack and fall on my face. I get up and turn around and see that Diamond is running to me. I then grab the thin knife and throw it. I don't care where the knife lands on Diamond, I just care if I kill her.

I wait for the knife to hit Diamond. It does, right in her forehead. Diamond falls on the floor as soon as it hits her. A canon booms through the arena, louder than before. I move back in shock in what I have done.

I don't even care about any of the weapons, I have to leave. Steven and Mace will be here any minute. I then start to run to the forest. I do but only a couple of feat in the forest. I see Mace and Steven. I freeze. Mace then looks at me. He heard the canon, he knows that I killed Diamond and now he is going to kill me.

I try to run away but he grabs my by the shoulder and pushes me to a tree.

"You killed Diamond didn't you?" He asks.

"I . . . I . . ." I'm so scared that I can't even speak.

"You did didn't you?"

"Pl-" I start to say. Mace then lifts up his trident but Steven then removes it from his hands.

"Hey!" yells Mace. "What are you doing?"

"Leave her alone!" Steven yells at Mace. Mace doesn't even care he just punches Steven in the face and he falls on the floor.

"Give me that." Mace says while snatching the trident away from Steven. Mace then takes his trident and sticks it into my lower leg. I yell in pain. My leg then start to bleed away, I'll be dead in no time if I don't get my leg wrapped up.

Steven gets up, grabs Mace, turns around and yells "Run!" right into my eyes. I can't run away or climb into a nearby tree; I'm in so much shock and pain I can barely move. I just crawl away into one of the bushes.

"Why did you let her escape? We were hunting her for days!"

"You mean you were hunting her, not me."

"What do you mean?"

"Why would I ever betray my own district? The only person I betrayed was you."

"I can't believe it, I trusted you."

"Well you shouldn't have." answers Steven.

Mace then takes his trident and throws it. His weapon hits Steven's stomach, chest and his heart. Steven falls on his back with shock in his eyes. Steven's canon blows, like a normal canon. Mace then leaves for the hovercraft to pick up Steven's body.

"Where are you 10? I'm going to find you and destroy you." Mace says as he disappears into the rest of the forest. I run away from Steven and the bush. I run across the field of the Cornucopia and into the woods.

Once I climb up a tree I look at my leg. The blood has stained my paints terribly and I'm losing a fair amount of blood. I then look in my pack and find some bandages. I quickly take the bandages and wrap it around my leg.

I felt like to yell when Steven was killed because he was on my side, not the Careers. I now feel so guilty for all the things I have said about him. If only I would have known. For what he did in the Training Center. For what he did in the Cornucopia. For when he saw Paige and I. For what he did in the rest of the Games. All this time Steven was protecting me from the Careers. He was my secret ally.

I realize that I am no just alive; I am one of the last two tributes. Steven must have lied about following me. But he never told anything to the Careers, why? Did he feel sorry for me? Or was it because I was eleven?

I am still in shock. I have seen too much. I have done too much. I am falling apart. I can't do this anymore. The Games are destroying me. Piece by piece the Games are tearing me apart. I can't even believe that I'm still here and that I'm alive.

There's one thing that I know. Steven's death cannot be a distraction to me, or else I'll be the next dead tribute. I get off the tree, go to the little river that Paige found and I refill the water bottle. I then start picking more blossom berries. I can't get any more meat if I'm going to be this close to Mace.

I then walk back in the direction of the Cornucopia. I spot Mace around the Cornucopia, climb up another tree that is close to Mace and tie myself to it. I then see Mace pacing back and forth, sort of like Gael. He then sits down, on a rock.

"Why Diamond? Why couldn't she kill me?" Well now I wish I did for what you did to Steven. I think. "I was on look out and I failed; now because of me Diamond is died." Mace says in grief. What does he mean that he was on look out?

I then realize what Mace meant. Mace must have been on lookout but he fell asleep. Then Diamond must have woken up and started to hunt for me or for food. Then when I killed Diamond the canon must have blown so loud to wake up Mace and Steven. Then that's when the action started.

My family must be scared and relived. I'm going to have to go and fight a Career tribute tomorrow, or today. Mace can be good at any weapon. I was actually quite surprised when I saw him pick a trident for his weapon. That's something that I would have expected Brooke or Roman to pick.

Maybe he picked it because it kills people faster than a spear. A trident is like three spears together. Therefore Mace could kill me faster if I get struck with it. I look at Mace from the treetop. I would kill Mace right now and go home but I feel so bad for him so I let it go.

If I do win the Games I'll be living happy. I think about if I win to give me hope that I may. If I don't think about the positive side of things then I'll be depressed. I wonder what the country has seen of me. The cameras are not always filming me. Right now they could all be pointing all at Mace.

I could imagine it. When the Games started and when they were many tributes to film. My family must have been so worried the time when they did not show what I was doing. The moment could have last a couple of seconds, minutes or even an hour. That could have felt like an eternity for them.

The anthem then plays. When Diamond's face is shown, Mace starts crying. I then see Steven's face. It's still between one and ten. I never thought that I would last a day here but I am, because of my family. All I know is that tomorrow, one of us will die, and the other will become a crowned victor.

 _ **Let's start off with Diamond. she was the type of girl that always stuck with Mace. She was also attached to Brooke, which is why she killed Carter. Diamond was the person that got along with people of her type, most likely the Careers. Now let's talk about Steven. He was the second tribute I created, and it was not easy to kill him off (even though you barely hear about him in the Games). Steven was Ginger's "secret ally". It puts the pieces together of what happened before and throughout the Games. At the Training Center Steven fell off while fighting with Ginger, to make her look more powerful. At the Cornucopia Steven killed Casey when Casey was going to kill Ginger. When Steven just joined the Careers and saw Ginger and Paige, he told the Careers to go to the opposite direction so Ginger could have some time to run. Steven killing Spud and then Steven being worried when he hurt Ginger and lastly Steven dying for Ginger. I hope this all made sense and that I stated all of the times that Steven helped Ginger throughput the Games.**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**Dead: 22**_

 _ **Alive: 2**_

I wake up and start to search the Cornucopia. Mace is nowhere to be found. It is either two things: Mace is hiding or Mace just went hunting for the day. Either way I am still frightened. Mace is a Career. I may have killed most of them but we are at the final two. Mace is going to be more aggressive and so am I.

I can't have any pity on Mace. That's how they trick you. Just as the tribute is going to be killed, they act like a helpless person begging for mercy. Then that gives them enough time to distract the tribute and get there weapon. The bam! The other tribute gets killed.

I have seen enough Games in my life in order to know some tricks. In school the teachers used to talk about anything that could help you in the Games, if you were the unlucky one to get picked. I remember when I was young and I used to see children that did nothing wrong disappear from the school.

When I was young I didn't really understand what the Games were. I just thought that it was a very realistic and violent soap opera. When Buck's Games were done, I would ask my parents and Gael where he went. I would sometimes talk to Buck and even play with him. My parents then explained to me that this people were actually fighting to the death and that only one out of twenty-four comes out.

Before my parents told me what the Games really were, Gael used to tell me that the children reaped were lucky and that they have a chance to become famous. That was true but only that one of the tributes would become famous. Every since I found out what the Hunger Games were, I had huge disrespect for the Capitol.

When I was really young, about three or four, I would always want to go to the Capitol. I always loved the descriptions people back home would always tell me. People said that there were tall buildings, lots of color and that the lights were so bright that they could blind you if you look at them directly. I would always tell my mother that I would like to get picked one day so I could go and see the Capitol. She would then reassure me that I wouldn't and she was right.

But now I'm in reality. I'm in the Games.

My throat is dry and I'm starving. I drink water and I look for my berries. When I open my pouch, there is almost nothing. I can't waste my all of my food, just in case the Games last longer than I think. I put two berries in my mouth just to have something in my stomach.

I look at my weapons. I take a little cloth that I found deep at the bottom of my pack and start to wipe them. I want all of my knives to be nice and clean for when I kill Mace with them. Once I finish wiping all of my weapons, I look at them, satisfied. I then quietly get off of my tree with my mace, knife and my throwing knives.

I walk around to see what that arena is going to bring me. There's nothing really to do now. All I have to do is to be very quiet, cautious and have all of my weapons at hand. Just the thought that I might have a chance of winning and seeing my family again gives me hope. People in the Capitol may think that I may not have a chance to win but life is very unpredictable, you just have to go with the flow.

If Steven was alive then he would just pretend to fight me and actually let me kill him. But if Mace never killed Steven then I would have never found out the real Steven. Or was it just a show for the Capitol? I think. It can't be, no one every goes that far. We are all just kids; I don't really find any of this entertaining.

As I keep on walking my feet off for about an hour I spot something, a nice green bush with berries. Blue berries, the ones that killed Miller.

It was a shame that Miller died from eating berries. I actually excepted him to live longer than Paige. But live is not always how you want it. I do miss both of them but know it is between Mace and me.

I walk to the berries that killed Miller and I squeeze them to make a poisonous juice. I start thinking what I can do with them. If you can die be eating it, then you can die if it goes in you. I dip all of my weapons into it. Except for my throwing knives, I only dip two on them, just in case I encounter something else.

After I finish with the berries as dark as night, I stuff all of my weapons into their rightful places. I then go to where the blossom berries are and I take a handful. Where could he be? I think. I don't want any muttations, animals made by the Capitol, to bring us together. Then hear something. It's Mace.

"Found you 10!" Mace yells with joy. What an idiot. I take a throwing knife and throw it into his arm. His yelling gives me time to run. I run as fast as I can but it is no match for Mace. It's like he is made out of steel. Mace just keeps on running with the knife in his arm.

I think that I'm safe from Mace so I stop running. I was completely wrong, I'm really not. Mace pushes me to the ground and into a bunch of bushes filled with thusumberries.

My skin immediately reacts to the berries. I start to get a small outbreak of what feels like thousands of needles poking me. Mace must've realized because he pushes me deeper into the thusumberries bushes. I then punch Mace and run away. He's not dead and he'll be coming for me. I think. Besides the Cornucopia, the last fight is the best. It is the most exciting fights because it is when a tribute becomes a victor, which means everything to me.

I am panting and breathing heavily. I climb up a tree and plop some blossom berries into my mouth and try to relax. I try to think about the little robin but I can't I'm too scared and nervous.

I think about everything that happened to me ever since the letter came through the door of my house. I also think about the Cornucopia and when I killed Isaac. He was my first kill. I could actual imagine the Capitol's hidden cameras zooming in on me killing him. I had no choice; it was either him or me.

I eat, drink water. I drank all of the water. I get off the tree. When I get off, it is so quiet, too quiet.

I walk to the lake around the Cornucopia to refill my bottle. I crouch down and try to take some water from the lake. I close the bottle and put it in my pack. As so as I put on my pack, some pushes me into the water. Mace.

Once I fall in the water, Mace jumps in to get me. I reach up to the surface gasping for air. I then spot the border of the lake and the land and grab on it. Mace then grabs my pack and tries to drag me down. I then do what most people would do. I take off the pack.

Once I take of the pack for Mace to deal with, I get out of the lake and start running. Mace must have dropped may pack into the water to let it sink because when I turn around I see Mace starting to run for me with his trident in his hands. I start to run faster with the two throwing knives in my hands in my hands, as tight as possible. I keep on running into trees.

When things look like they will get better, they don't. Instead of a high tree to climb, I see the Cornucopia. Great I went in the wrong direction. "I've got you now 10, looks like someone isn't going home." he says. Mace then takes away my mace, the knife that I got from Miller and all of my throwing knives but the two, which are I kept in my hands ever since I lost my pack.

I then try to punch him but he blocks the punch and pushes me to the floor. Mace then comes up close to me. "What a shame, you came all this way to die." he says. I then do what I do best, hurting people's stomach. I kick Mace in his stomach and then I run to the Cornucopia. Mace then throws his trident and it hits the ground.

Mace ditches his trident and follows me to the Cornucopia. I see so many weapons but I can't go inside or else Mace will pin me in a corner and kill me so I grab what I can get. Mace then comes in and grabs a curved sword. I see a throwing axe and I swing it. Mace dodges at the right time and I lose the axe. Mace swings the sword and cuts my forehead.

"How do you like it?" he asks me.

"You could do better." I dare to say. There are no more weapons so I run back to the axe. Mace grabs me, drags me to outside of the Cornucopia and pushes me to the floor. When I fall on the floor, Mace goes on top of me and sends his sword right to my head.

For a second I thought that I was a goner. But I'm not. I'm alive, breathing and unhurt. The sword got stuck in one of my braids. Mace then pulls the sword out of my braid. I then kick Mace in the stomach and punch him in the face. I run only a couple of steps when Mace slaps me to the floor.

Oh the fun the Capitol must be having right now.

Mace then has the sword and tries to cut my face but I hold it back, just like I did with Diamond. I then grab the sword out of his hand, and slash his face as well. I get up and run away as Mace yells in agony. Mace then grabs me by my hood and pulls me to the outside of the Cornucopia and puts me to a wall.

"What are you going to do now?" he tells me.

I don't know what has gotten into me; I just start screaming like a scared little girl, there's not that much acting in it. I hope the pity plan works. If I'm going to die, I might as well just give them the Capitol a good show.

Mace then pushes me to the Cornucopia and I fall to the floor. I drop my throwing knives a foot away. I get up and grab both of my throwing knives, ready to get him. Mace then backs up and I try to escape. Mace then chases me and grabs me.

I then take my elbow and shove it into his stomach. Then Mace takes his sword and stabs me with it. His knife didn't hit me in a vital area at least that's good news but I am in so much pain that it is unbearable.

Mace looks pleased. I then have enough force to get up and throw both knives, one in his stomach and the other in the upper chest area. When Mace falls on the floor, I fall with him.

I then start think about the times I used to hunt with Gael and that I may never see him again. Why can't Mace just die and I can go home? I am hoping that all of the berry juice didn't come off when I was in the lake. I then start breathing slower and slower. I look right into the nice noon like sun. I then close my eyes and I don't open them back.

A canon blows.

 _ **Last day of the Games! I am quite sad that it is the last day but I couldn't make the Games last forever. Now let's find out who is the victor!**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**Who's the victor?**_

I see a white light, and that's all I see. The walls are white, the room is white. Everything is white. I look at myself, in clean and fixed. I feel my face. It's nice and smooth, all of the cuts that I got from the Gams are gone. I died in the Games.

I get off the bed and I walk around the room. I can't believe that I died. I then see someone walk around. I grab a sliver pole and use it as a weapon. The person opens the door and I hold the pole in my hands.

"Oh, okay relax Ginger." My muscles relax and I put the pole down. It's Orford.

"I'm alive, I won?" I answer.

"You sure did, Ginger." says Orford.

"But how? I was hurt, badly."

"You may have gotten hurt but you lived because of the berries. The knives that you put in Mace were deadly so it made him die quicker. Also you put then right in his stomach."

"So I was stabbed in my stomach."

"That doesn't matter; it was only a little cut."

"How long was I out." I say remembering the scars that are barely on my face.

"For about two weeks, the Capitol tired the best they can to remove the scars."

"Also I just have to ask one question, why does the room look like heaven, I thought that I was dead." I say annoyed.

"You don't know the style of the Capitol?"

"Whatever what are those berries called? You know the ones that I used to put on the knives."

"They don't really have a name but if it weren't for those berries, you would have bled to death." Orford then turns on the television and then I see the moment when Mace and I started fighting. Me climbing off me tree, Mace yelling with joy that he found me and then me throwing a knife in his arm. Then a while later me refilling my bottle and Mace pushing me to the floor. Me running away and then Mace catching up and taking away all of my weapons but the two knives. Mace taking me and pushing me to the floor. Me kicking Mace in his stomach and running to the Cornucopia. Mace throwing his trident, hitting the ground and then ditching it to follow me.

Mace grabbing a curved sword and me grabbing a throwing axe and then swigging it while Mace dodges. Me running back to the throwing axe. Mace grabbing me and then pulling me to the outer wall of the Cornucopia. Mace asking me what am I going to do. Me yelling. Mace pushing me to the Cornucopia and then me falling to the floor and me grabbing my throwing knives. Me escaping and then Mace chasing and grabbing me. Me shoving my elbows into Mace's Stomach. Mace stabbing be in my stomach and then me yelling even more. Me taking both of my knives and putting them in Mace. Mace falling on the floor and then me looking down realizing that Mace hurt me. Me falling to the floor and holding my stomach then me closing my eyes. A couple of seconds later a canon rings. Then I here Claudius Templesmith saying,

"The victor of the 73rd Annual Hunger Games is Ginger Scalavic, the female tribute from District 10!"

Then I can see the reaction of the whole district and my family. The whole district was cheering and clapping. Then I see my family. When my name was said, my mother hugged my father and she was crying tears of joy. My father was looked so shocked and he just hugged my mother and he was just tapping my mother's back. Then I see Gael. He was so relieved and happy that I was alive. I may have just seen them on a screen but I was so happy. I didn't even know that cameras were put into my house, something to be careful for.

"When do I get to go back to my family?" I ask.

"After the Victor's Interview you go back to your family then you have a couple of parties then six months later you have the Victory Tour."

"That seems like a lot."

"Well it is. Oh and here is your food." Orford gives me a very small amount of food, blossom berries and a loaf of bread with a glass of water. I look at him then at the food and then at him. "You know why." I do know why, my stomach is hurt and it shrunk. The Capitol is very strict on feeding their victor food after the Games. It takes me almost an hour to eat all of the food. Back home, this would be a feast for me and I would eat it as fast as I can but here I don't. Orford then leaves the room and Maximus comes in.

"Hello my little victor." says Maximus. "Here is your dress for the Victor's Interview" he hands me a brown dress, like the color of a cattle's fur, my favorite color. It will go a little under my knees. The sleeves are see through and I am in love with it, until I see the padding. I can almost count all of my bones and they put padding inside to make me look perfect. I hate it; everything in the Capitol is fake. The clothes, the hair, the bodies, everything. I don't want to become a puppet on a stage for them.

I go into a room and change into the dress. When I come out of the changing room, the whole crew is there, Hestia, Ajax, Lilith and Justice. Hestia and Lilith did my hair, the same hair style as the interview before the Games. Ajax painted my nails brown and put the livestock symbol on one of them with a little crown on it. Lastly Justice did my makeup, which wasn't really anything, just gloss on my lips, since I am so young. I then go to the train to the Capitol. For the first time I am happy to be back in the Capitol. I wait in the same place as before, when everyone was alive. I am also happy to hear Caesar's voice.

"And the moment you've all been waiting for, the people that made her come home and Ginger Scalavic, the victor of the 73rd Annual Hunger Games!" Before I walk out, all of the people that have helped and prepared me come out. Hestia, Ajax, Lilith and Justice come out first. Caesar asks them questions about my makeup and hair and anything about beauty.

Then it is Daphne, who must be over joyed. Caesar asks her about when she first saw me and if she ever thought that I would have won. Next is Maximus. He is asked about all of my outfits that I wore and about the one that I am wearing now. Then before me, Orford. Caesar asks him how he trained me. Then my name is called. I walk on the stage and wave to the crowd that is applauding and cheering for me. Caesar has green hair and the same suit that he wears every year. "How does it feel to come back, as a victor?"

"It feels great. After all, I do miss the stunning Capitol." Only be sweet during the interview but this doesn't change anything, you're still the same Ginger. I think as I answer Caesar's question.

"Beautiful just beautiful. We all have lots of questions to ask you but first let us see the highlights of the Games!" Then the Capitol shows the best parts of the Games. In the corner of the screen, there is a little box for the reaction of the victor. I see the initial Bloodbath and all the deaths, including Paige's. Me making the trails and sneaking into the Cornucopia. Steven saving me, many times and his death. The last battle and where I almost died. "I know we should start with the Cornucopia but I have to start out with something else. I love your trail idea! Making other tributes going away from the food, brilliant! Tell us about it! Some Details!" Whatever Caesar was talking about, the camera crew would replay the moment that he was talking about.

"Well, there is only one victor and I needed to live. So after all of my allies died, I was all alone so everyone would think that I was an easy target. I proved them wrong, I made trails to lead them away from all of the food and water in the hope other tributes would meet and destroy each other."

"Brilliant! Now let's get to the Cornucopia scene. We first see you when you grab a pack and then Isaac goes on top of you, trying to kill you, what did you do to get him off?" This time the Cornucopia scenes are played in slow motion. All of Panem is seeing this; no one wants to see that again. Especially Isaac's family.

"I kicked him in the stomach to make him lose balance and then I pinned him to the floor. He then pushed me off so I just grabbed one of my throwing knives and threw it into his back."

"Impressive, next we see you in the Cornucopia. This was a very suspenseful moment, everyone was wondering what was going to happen to you. Burton was choking and banging your head on a crate, where it was seen clearly. What were you thinking at that moment?"

"To be honest, I thought I was a goner but when I found the knife, I felt so happy. That knife is what saved my life that day."

"Then we see you confronting Mace before you thankfully left the Cornucopia, what happened there?"

"Well I saw Mace before I left. He was poking the air so I just dodged out of the way, I nearly fell."

"When you were thankfully running out of the Cornucopia, we see that you took Carter's pack, I liked it really Hunger Games like."

"Thank you, well Carter stole the pack from my ally, Miller, so I stole it back."

"Then the last scene is after you got other and all of your supplies. Nolan punches you and then he then takes you stuff. What were you thinking?"

"I was going to get him back, so I did."

"The next day you went back to the Cornucopia to get stuff, what happened in there?"

"I was getting my things and then Nolan comes out of nowhere and then drags me out and tries to kill me. Then I give him a taste of his own medicine."

"Then we see you with Nolan again." He's talking about Paige's death, one of the scenes I am trying to avoid.

"I already had enough so I just killed him."

"Okay, we can't go over everything sad but what I found very impressive is that when you went back into the Cornucopia, with the Careers only a couple of feet away, and escaped with no contact with any of the Careers, how did you do it?"

"Well back at District 10, the Capitol would let the hunters hunt, since my parents owned a butchers shop, my brother and I would hunt and we had to be very quiet. That helped me a lot."

"We were all touched when Steven saved your life, do you know why he did that?"

"No I don't."

"Now it is for the last moment, when you were fighting Mace, did you realize you were the winner?"

"No once I closed my eyes, I was a goner. I thought I was killed but I was not, thankfully."

"So are we. That is all we have until next year and we can't wait to see you at your crowning, Ginger!" I then leave the stage and I go to the train station to wait for a train. When I get in the train, I am very, very happy. This is it; I'm going home, back to my family. Finally. Just a crown on my head and I see them. Then it's just the tour and a couple of parties and then I'm free. I think. Maximus comes over and he talks to me.

"You will wear the same dress for your crowning." he says.

"Okay, that sounds okay." I say while I play with my bracelet.

"Do you miss your family?"

"No, I was just in the woods for a little over than two weeks and almost died no biggie."

"Okay that was a dumb question."

"You got that right. How does it feel?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean how does it feel not to live in fear and to have food?"

"It feels great, don't worry you'll be alright."

"I hope so."

"Here, we all made this for you in the Capitol." he says while giving me a charm bracelet. Both the bracelet and the charms are completely sliver. There are four charms, the symbol of my district and of the Capitol, a crown and a family.

"It's beautiful, I like it." Then Daphne barges in and nearly scares me off the chair.

"We're here, District 10!" says Daphne. "Wave Ginger, oh and smile!" This time my smile is real, not fake. I see all of the people clapping and cheering. I then get off of the train and walk up stage. Then President Snow is up on the stage with a golden crown in his hands. President Snow takes the crown and puts it on my head and says

"Congratulations."

"It's an honor to meet you." I say.

"Why thank you."

"You're welcome, your honor." Oh and thanks for traumatizing me and making me fight to the death. Oh also thanks for making me do what no eleven-year-old or kid should see or do. I think. I wish I could have said that to his face. He then smiles and I smile back. I wave and smile to the crowd while I am trying to find my family. They are happy that I am home but my mother looks like she was stress eating.

The Peacekeepers take me to my new house after ten minutes of smiling and waving. I wait inside the house for a couple of long minutes. Then I hear a door open and a lot of footsteps.

"Ginger?" I know that voice.

"Gael?" I get off of my seat and run to the door and I hug my whole family at once. I don't even care that my leg gives me a limp, I just want to run up to him. "I've haven't seen you guys in a while." The stopped hugging me, like they are getting ready for something.

"We have to tell you something." says Gael as I hug my mother, which feels harder than usually.

"Really?" I ask looking into my mother's eyes. I already know what she is going to tell me, I'm going to become a big sister.

"Yes." says my father. "We were going to tell you on the day of the reaping but . . . you know."

"I can't wait." I say. "Well now I have to tell you something, now that I am a victor, we can eat real food now, so do you want to eat or not?"

"I barely ate during the Games, so yes I do." says Gael. I lead them to the table where there is a meal already prepared for us. We eat and talk, no more junk, now I am eating I like a person from the Capitol. What about all the people who don't have this meal? All they have is the mushy junk that I never liked. When I was little I wanted to have a meal like this so bad but now, after all the things I have seen in person, it's not worth it.

 ** _Yes Ginger did win. I know that is doesn't follow the story line, I read the books (and they were awesome!). I was just tired of seeing the winner being older and if the hero was young, I would usually_ _see the hero as a male. I may have only been on this Earth for 13 years but I have read a lot of books and seen a lot of movies with older heroes. My title was Little But Powerful for that specific reason. For example the word spud is the start of a plant's life cycle, when the plant is weak. My version of Spud is big, brave, strong and feared. I just wanted to show people t_ hat even though they are young, doesn't mean that they are not powerful. If you hate my story, I am sorry but this is my imagination, what can I say? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯**


	26. Chapter 26

_**I don't know how many of you guys are still reading this story but if you are, thank you for continuing to read!**_

It has been six months ever since the Games. In two weeks, I'm going to become a big sister. My family and I have everything now, food water and a real bed. Sure I may have fame and riches but I'm different. I'm too scared to be alone and I have also become very sensitive. Wining the games also has given me better things then fame and riches. I have become really good friends with Annie Cresta the victor of the 70th Annual Hunger Games. I leave the table and start getting ready because Daphne is going to be here any minute. I then here a knock on the door.

"Hello everyone!" says Daphne. "Well, I haven't seen any of you for a while, it feels like ages!" Then Hestia, Ajax, Lilith and Justice come in and give every one of us a hug.

"Hello Ginger." says Maximus. "Long time no see." he then comes up to me and shakes my hand.

"Hello neighbor." says Orford. Now that I am a victor, Orford lives right next to me.

"Well I know that we are all excited but-" Daphne starts.

"We have to go now." says Orford.

"I haven't even started."

"Well it's not my fault that you wanted to hug and greet the whole district." Orford says smiling.

"Fine." Daphne says trying to hold her smirk. I go to my family and give them a hug and then I leave for the tour. Six months after the Games, there is a Victory Tour. I have to go to all twelve districts and give a speech about the fallen tributes. There is one podium for each family. The victor's district always goes last. This just keeps the Games fresh in everyone's minds. I hop on to the train and there is Maximus ready to speak about my outfit, as always.

"Here is your dress Ginger." Maximus says while giving me the dress.

"This is one of the best pieces you have ever made." I say. I go to the dresser to change into the dress. The dress looks the same as the crowning and the interview but in black and with the symbol of every single district, including the Capitol. When I leave the dresser, I see Daphne and Orford.

"Here is your speech." says Daphne while handing me a card.

"If I was you I would just say what was on the card, it's for the best." Orford tells me before I can even touch the card. The speech may be short but I like it. When I arrive to each district, the mayor introduces me and then I give the speech.

"All of our tributes fought hard and they fell with pride and honor. Our tributes had a home at the Capitol and they always will. We do wish that all can come home, back into your arms but sadly only one must. One day you will see them again in a better place. May the odds ever be in your favor, for next year." I say over and over agin for all of the different districts. By the time I was in district seven, I memorized more than half of the speech.

As I was in each of the districts, I realized how much each tribute as left behind. I heard that it is nice to give a speech in the districts of any of you allies, so I do. Miller only had his father. I said that Miller was one of the smart kids and that he helped me a lot. I also told the district that he was a very good friend and that he was a friend that shouldn't have been lost. Paige, oh sweet Paige left behind her mother and an older brother, about sixteen-years-old. I wish I could have gone up and smack him. I say that Paige was the nicest person that I meet and that she was the reason that I was happy that I was picked into the Games. When she died I didn't know what I was going to do.

Carter had both parents and a little sister. I said that Carter was very swift and nice. When we first met I hurt him but I wish that I didn't do that. I also said that Carter could have killed me but he didn't and that I respect him for that. Gadge was like a mother, she only had a little sister, the one she volunteered for. Diamond and Mace were brother and sister and they left their mother and father that is why Mace cared so much about her.

"Where are we going now?" I ask Orford when I realize the train is not going back to District 10.

"Well that is not a question for me to answer is it?" Orford says while looking at Daphne.

"I thought you'll never ask!" Daphne shrieks. "We are going to my home-"

"Oh boy." says Orford.

"The Capitol!"

"What, I thought that I was done with them!" I say.

"Yes I know you don't want to go but there is so much more to do! Parties and other things! Come on, let's get dressed! Maximus made this for you, it's very Capitol like."

I look at Orford. "I have to wear this?"

"I'm afraid so." he says.

"Don't blame the Capitol's style, what did you think I thought of the style of District 10?"

"Hey!" Orford and I say.

"Exactly." she answers.

It is the ugliest dress I have ever seen in my life. It was a brown dress with fur, everywhere. There were polka dots, very bright ones, everywhere. I hated it but I still had to put it on. When I leave to changing room, I see the site of the Capitol, something I didn't want to see.

"Okay, well let's get ready for the party!" shrieks Daphne.

"Party, where?" I ask.

"Why in well President Snow's mansion!"

"Great." Not only I do just get to go back to the Capitol, I have to see the ruler. We leave to train and go to the party. There are so many bright colors, so bright that I feel like my eyes are burning into bits. People greet me and congratulate me for winning the Games at such a young age and that my family and district should be very proud of me. There's dancing but I don't dance and food, lots of it. There's even a drink that makes you sick so you can eat more. All of that extra food can go to the districts bit instead it is being wasted. Next we had a giant dinner, biggest that I have ever seen. I feel so guilty eating. In the Capitol, people actually have weight on them but back in the districts, you'll be lucky to even have food.

President Snow then leads me to a room. At first I thought that I was in trouble but then he started speaking.

"Ginger as you know, you won the Games and that you are now a victor."

"Yes when do I go back to school?"

He starts laughing. "You don't back to school. That is why I called you here. You have to pick a talent."

I think for a while but it then hits me. "Bird watching. I really like the robin in the Games so I would like to keep on learning about them."

"Very well then, you can leave now." I gladly leave and go back to Daphne and the others.

"That was fun." Daphne says once we are on the train. "Well now it's time for our last stop, District 10!"

"Finally, I haven't been there for days!" I say.

"Yes and the best part is that you get to wear an outfit from your own district!"

"Well then, I am going to wear my reaping outfit, it started the Games and now it's going to end it."

"Okay, whatever you want."

When we are back in District 10 I am so happy. Then I remember about Steven. At least all I need is to give the speech one last time and go to another party, where the whole district will be involved. I wear the same dress that I had for the other speeches and I give the speech. Then I realize again why Steven saved my life. On his pedestal, where his family is supposed to be, there is no one. He had no one to come back to, he was an orphan so he didn't care, and there was no point for him. I never knew but then who visited him? I say just a couple of words. I say that Steven was someone that I thought betrayed me but he really didn't. I wish that I would have known that so I would play along. Instead he sacrificed everything, his own life for me to live mine. Everyone seems happy since I won but I am now one of the saddest people in the district because I learned something I wish I didn't.

I leave the stage I go to my house to put on my reaping dress. I go to the party and I try to enjoy it. Gael takes me to the party since my mother is too tried and my father is scared to leave her alone. Now it is my chance to have a normal conversation with Gael, just like we used to.

"Gael, if there was no one on Steven's pedestal, then who visited him?" I ask. Way to go Ginger such a normal conversation. I think as soon as the words come out of my mouth.

"How should I know?" he answers. I look at him. "Okay fine. It was us."

"What?"

"We asked Steven to help you during the Games. Then he insisted to protect you for as long as he can and he did."

"Why didn't you tell me that after the Games?"

"We didn't want to spoil anything for you."

"Oh well, thank you."

"So now what?"

"Well we can tell jokes?"

"You should thank me."

"Why?"

"For the training when we were hunting."

"Yes that came in handy for the Cornucopia."

"I was surprised that you made it out there unhurt, well the time when the Careers were right there."

"Now we have food and our little sibling can have all the food it wants."

"It will never have to starve."

"Like we did." Then we arrive to the party. It's actually called Parcel Day. Parcel Day is a holiday for when a victor wins for their district. The Capitol provides food for the whole Capitol. This is the only positive side of winning the Games. There is water and food, which actually has flavor in it. Neither Gael nor I have ever been to any of these parties.

"So this is how the Careers Districts feel almost every year." says Gael.

"And this is how we are going to feel forever." I say. We then try to enjoy the party. Most of the people just thank me for winning and for giving them food for a year. They may have food for a year but I have it for life.

The party ends at about seven in the night. All of the children are so happy that they finally get to have food for a year. So am I but I just wish that this could be forever. Some families are smart. They ration the food so it could last longer while other just eat it all away.

"What did you do while I was in the Games?" I ask Gael as we are walking home for the party.

"When you went into the train and after I said goodbye to you I knew that I wouldn't be seeing you for three days because District 12 is so far for the Capitol." It took us so fast to get to the Capitol because the Reaping Center in District 10 is around the edge of the district. So it took us only a couple of hours but we wasted time eating and watching the other reapings. "So I just went back home and locked myself in the house until I could see you again."

"So you didn't hunt or anything like that?"

"Of course I did, I had to now support mom and dad."

"Did anybody say anything to you?"

"Almost every hunter in the forest that I met, even a Peacekeeper the one that took the deer."

"What did you do after the Games start?"

"After the interviews and the scores, by the way you did a good job with getting a high score." I smile at him. "It was the day of the Bloodbath. One the first day I woke up with no feeling then a wave of fear hit me because I remembered that it was the first day of the Games. We stayed at home with Flora and even Auntie made a visit to our house. Then the countdown went to zero and I saw you jump of your pedestal and run as fast as you can. It was a good thing that we stayed home because when Burton stated to bang you head on that crate, mom started crying but when you left the Cornucopia and the Bloodbath scene, she was then okay."

"So for the rest of the Games you would be outside?"

"Yes then when you would fall asleep that is when I would go home and watch it there. Then one of us would take watch, just in case anything happened to you."

"Did you think I died?" I ask.

"Well . . ." Gael cuts himself off. "Do you want the truth or not?"

"The truth." I say sternly.

"Okay, we were all at home and thought that you died. Mom started crying and dad just left the room but I stood there waiting for Claudius to say the name of the victor. Then when Claudius stated to speak, dad rushed back into the room a don mom put her head back up. When he said your name-"

I cut him off. "You were all happy and hugged each other."

"Yes, how did you know?"

"The Capitol must have installed some cameras in the old house during the family interviews because when Orford showed me the moment, I saw your reaction." Gael just looks at me.

"They . . . put . . . cameras . . . in . . . our . . . house?" Gael asks.

"I guess so. So what did you tell them in the interviews?"

"Mom and dad didn't really want to talk so I just said that you are more powerful then you look. I guess that I never realized that the cameramen put cameras inside." We then go inside the Victor's Village and passed by Orford's house.

Orford's house looks just like mine except all of his rooms are not filled in, like ours. We don't try to talk about the Games or anything else. We just look around the house and leave. I then walk home as carefully as I can because if I die then my family would have to go back to living inside our old house and I can't let that happen.

 ** _This is just the Victory Tour, which is when the victor has to go around and give a little speech in front of every district, including the fallen tributes' families. we also find out that Steven had no family. Which could say that Steven was very independent and was a lone survivor._**


	27. Chapter 27

_**Our journey is coming to an end, which I am not that happy about but enjoy this chapter!**_

It's over, I have nothing to do with the Capitol, and all of the parties are over. I am happy because now I get to live with my family. A couple of days after the last party, my mother had the twins. A boy and I girl, one of the first things they tried to do was grab my glasses, which I can actually see in now. As a family tradition, the child that was the youngest in the family gets to name the newest child. So my mother named Gael, Gael named me, and I will name the twins.

I don't go to school anymore but I still go hunting with Gael every once and a while. I sometimes can't go because it reminds me too much of the Games.

I wait for Gael at the house to go bird watching with him. I sit on this plush chair that what made from some cattle fur, Daphne's house warming present. I can hear Gael at the door.

"Is it good outside?" I ask.

"Of course it is there is barely anyone in the forest . . . or anywhere." Gael answers. I walk outside; the air is nice and crisp. Gael and I both wear jackets that the Capitol gave us. Of course it is quiet outside, today is the day of the reaping.

Everyone is at home either trying to sleep in, getting ready or spend time with their children. Gael and I walk into the forest.

"Do you want to climb up a tree?" Gael asks me.

"Sure, that's where all of the birds are." I answer. We climb up a tree and get ready for bird watching.

"You don't really want to bird watching, do you?"

"I do." Gael gives me a look of disbelief. "No, I don't."

"Why not, you did tell President Snow that you wanted this to be your hobby." Gael says.

"I know I did is that today is the reaping of the 74th Hunger Games. I can't stand it. Every day I see children playing, going to school and what not, I just can't bear looking at the children I have to mentor just to see then die of like cattle in the desert!"

"I know that things aren't the same but you'll get over it." I can tell that Gael doesn't mean a word that he says; he's just trying to make me feel better.

"Okay, if we are up in this tree we might as well do some bird watching."

"Whatever you want." We look around for some birds. I see some robins and other birds that I have never seen in my life. I have a little journal to keep all of the birds in record. I try to draw them out to keep the birds for a memory. I'm not an excerpt on birds but that's what the library is for.

Gale and I leave the forest to go home, not our new home, our old one. We go there because it reminds us of me before the Games. My parents don't even have enough time to go to the old house because they have to go and take care of the twins. The old house is still kept the same, just in case my family would have to move back.

After about an hour Gael and I go to our other home. Gael just fixes the meat for a Peacekeeper he likes to sell to, Ammon. It's like Gael said, he was the one that we sold the deer to. I haven't talked to him yet but all I know is that he is eager to meet me and I don't know why, that's the scary part.

I may have nothing to do with the Capitol but I now have to be a mentor for all of the tributes of District 10. I have to be a mentor until the day I die. Every single year when it's Hunger Games season, I have to go with Orford and train the tributes. There is a limit of two mentors for all of the tributes per district.

Since there are two male and two female victors, two of us will be free and stay home. Since I am new, the other victors have agreed that I could be the mentor and Orford can help me until I can do it alone, then we'll switch around.

I leave the house to go with Orford and we walk to the Reaping Center.

"Where is the rest of your family?" Orford asks.

"Oh, they'll be in the Reaping Center in a while. Maybe my parents are just forcing the twins out of the house." Its quiet hard to look at the twins have fun because I know once they're twelve; their names go once into the Reaping Bowl. I'll train them with Gael, just in case one of them get picked and have to go into the Games.

We finally arrive in the Reaping Center. This time I wasn't in the crowd of the reaping, I was on the stage right next to Orford. I also saw the two other victors that I never talked to. Well as friends I've only talked to them about the Games, my least favorite thing to talk about.

I was surprised to see Daphne on the stage. When an escort has a tribute that becomes a victor, they are allowed to switch with any other district, usually the Career ones. Orford then tells me that Daphne decided to still be the escort of District 10 because it felt like her home.

Daphne then calls the names, nothing special, no volunteering. The male tribute is crippled but the female tribute looks okay. Orford and I would tell them everything we know about the Games.

I told them if anyone has them pinned, to just punch or kick them in the stomach since it could give you a couple of seconds to run. Orford would say to find shelter and only go into the Cornucopia if they could. Maximus and his prep team dressed up the tributes as cowboys and cowgirls, which I like but I liked my costume even more.

The interviews were fine and so were there training scores. Then the day of the Games came. The female tribute died on the first day and surprisingly the male tribute lived for about a week. This year was different, two victors, both from District 12 won. They were the star crossed lovers but it doesn't really fool me, I know it's a game for the Capitol. I mean sure, I would do anything for the Capitol in order to live.

Mentoring is harder than I thought. I became friends with the tributes that I trained and I saw them die right before my eyes. I don't know how I can do this every single year.

"How do you do it Orford?" I ask him once the Games are done and we are on the trains to our house.

"Do what, handling the tributes deaths?" Orford asks. I nod. "Well I get used to it."

"But how can you, don't you become friends with them?"

"Yes but I have to let it go, it's hard for the first couple of years."

"How long did it take you to get used to it?"

"I was always used to it, after the Games I was done. I just decided not to really connect with them."

"My Games were completely different than yours! Mine was in the forest and you in the cold! You weren't that traumatized because I actually had to kill people while you just sat in a tree with some cattle fur on you! "

"I know, I know. It's just harder for you because you are so young."

"Maybe." I say calming myself down.

"I just try not to really talk to them."

"But you talked to me."

"But I wasn't really trying too." I look at him. "Look is that some mentors don't just train their tributes, they bond with them, playing games, talking about home and all of the unnecessary stuff. I just trained you and Steven, I did nothing else."

"Well that's true; I'll try that next year."

"You should, it's very helpful."

"Thanks."

"Well, we're back home." Orford says.

"Finally." I say. We get off the train and walk to the Victor's Village. "So you do this every year."

"Yes, it gets annoying in a couple of years."

"I just want to live in my house in peace, I already did the Games."

"Life is not always what we want, it's what we need." Orford says. Then we part our ways and go to our homes.

"I'm back." I say but no one is home. My father is at work so I need to find my mother or Gael. Then I hear something walk but it sounds like it is across the hall. "Hello? Mom? Gael? Are any of you home?"

"Roar!" yells Gael. I jump back against the wall, while Gael is laughing his head off. I notice that he is wearing a bear rug on his head. "You should have seen yourself!"

"Where's mom, dad and the twins?" I say in a serious voice.

"There're outside looking around the district and the twins are still here, how was the mentoring?"

"Eh, it was okay, I guess." Our mother comes in and Gael leaves. "Bye, see you later."

"Where's he going?" I ask my mother.

"Hunting, you're expecting visitors." she answers.

"Who?"

"That's a surprise." she laughs. "I'll be taking a nap." I sigh and I then sit down on a chair, waiting for the doorbell to ring. The twins are just walking around, doing whatever they want. I wait for five minutes, just fooling around with my bracelets then I hear a doorbell ring. I get up and get and when I open the door, Daphne barges in with a big green bow and dress, with a pink wig. She reminds me of a watermelon.

"They're coming!" Daphne shrieks in the highest Capitol voice I have heard.

"Who-what are you talking about?"

"This year's victors, Peeta Melark and Katniss Everdeen!"

"Why-this was never part of the victor's routine!"

"The districts made it up, it's how you make friends."

"Okay fine."

"Oh no dear, it's not a choice. They're coming in twenty minutes."

"Okay, wait, what do I do?"

"Just sit down."

"Fine." I wait the twenty minutes, which feels like centuries. Then I hear the doorbell. Daphne gets up and opens the door with joy.

"Effie!" Daphne shrieks.

"Daphne!" says Effie whose voice is even higher and clothes even wackier. Then the two victors come in. Daphne and Effie go to a room and Katniss, Peeta and I go to the living room.

"How do you win?" Katniss, the girl of hope, asks me as soon as we sit down.

"Well we are hunters so I was thought a thing or two." I answer.

"Someone as young as you can't just win with hunting skills."

"My brother used to train me." I admit. "What about you?"

"I used to hunt with my best friend in the woods."

"I like your house." Peeta, the baker's son, asks to try to get off the topic.

"Thanks. How did you win?" I ask. Once all of the tributes from District 10 died, I don't bother watching other innocent children butcher each other.

"I was with Katniss." he answers. "What did the Games do to you? They changed me."

"I don't really like to take about it." I answer.

"They really didn't do anything to me." Katniss says looking like she is going to blossom with tears.

"I don't blame you guys." he says. Then the twins come up and start running. "Where is the rest of your family?"

"My mother is sleeping, my father is looking around the District and Gael is hunting. Everyone but the twins knew that you were here." I answer.

"What are their names?" ask Peeta.

I may be smiling on the outside but on the inside I cry every time I say these two names "Steven and Paige."

 _ **Ginger did name her siblings Steven and Paige. She did this because Ginger felt like that she could have saved Paige ans that she could have seen the good side in Steven and become allies with him. These names will haunt Ginger forever so that is why she decided to name the twins after them, might as well put the names to use, right?**_


	28. Epilogue

_**This is it. This is the last piece to my story. I thank all of the people that read the whole story and if you didn't I understand that, now enjoy! :)**_

Katniss and Peeta know why I named the twins that, they just don't ask me anything. Awhile after I met Katniss and Peeta, I was invited again to visit all of the districts. This time the mayor's children all greeted me.

At first I thought it was quite nice but that's when the protests started and everything changed. Orford said that it was going to be a nice experience that is until the cart that was separating Orford and I from my whole prep team, stylist and family blew up. Our cart was left behind while everyone else kept on going. Every single district had a little protest excepted for District2; they are the most loyal district to the Capitol. Orford and I hide under objects to hide from the Peacekeepers, with a little help from the mayor's children.

When Orford and I finally came back from our little detour, it was only a couple of weeks until the announcement of the 75th Hunger Games, the Third Quarter Quell. I was ready to follow Orford's plan until I found out that the tributes would reaped from the previous victors. My father was comforting my mother and Gael was comforting me.

Then came the day of my reaping, and I was picked. Daphne had tears in her eyes and I had to hold back my tears. Then Orford looked at me. Then before Daphne could even walk to the bowl where his name was in, Orford volunteered. For the Tribute Parade, Orford and I dressed up as fools, we looked like burning cows but I didn't care, I was too nervous for the Gams. Then there were the interviews, the citizens of the Capitol were crying and begging for a rule change. For the first time, the citizens of the Capitol knew how the districts felt. Then at the end, every single tribute held hands and the lights dimmed out but it was too late.

One the first day of the Games I had to force my breakfast in myself. Then when I went to the Launch Room, I took a bath and put on my outfit for the Games, a blue suit and belt. Then I was sent into the Launch Tube and into the Games.

The arena was a perfect circle and there were twelve rock like polls, there were twenty four tributes and the whole area of the Cornucopia was surrounded by water. I looked for Orford, who wasn't as far from me as I thought. When the countdown ended, neither Orford nor I jumped off our pedestal, we were trapped. After Katniss and Finnick went into the Cornucopia, I noticed that they floated. Orford must have noticed as well because after that we just dove right into the water. I ran across the rock like poll with Gloss, the male District 1 tribute behind me. I met Orford at the Cornucopia, I grabbed my throwing vest and vest while Orford grabbed as many spears as he could, then we left the Bloodbath.

The rest of the Games were a blur but I remember Orford and I being hit with a tidal wave. It took my hours to find Orford. When I did it was nice and dark so I nearly killed Orford but he noticed my voice and then spoke so I could notice his. Then on the third day of the Games the arena fell apart and then hovercrafts came to pick us up. I was badly hurt on my lag, again, so Orford let me go first. When I was picked up I saw Peeta, Enobaria and Johanna inside. We were then dropped off at the Capitol.

It was complete torture for all of us except for Enobaria and Annie. Peeta was hijacked, Johanna was traumatized and I got the worst torture. President Snow called me the silent one; I didn't tell him anything I knew about Katniss. One day instead of President Snow coming in to talk to me, it was a Peacekeeper, and then I was turned into an Avox.

The pain was so unbearable that I fainted during the processes, I would cry and all but that would come out was sounds. After that President Snow left me alone. Then one faithful day people came to rescue us, all except for Enobaria, she was no threat to the Capitol. Orford rescued me and brought me to District 13, which I didn't even know existed. He didn't know anything was wrong with me until I met my family.

I started to eat to see if they would notice anything, an Avox swallows differently and it is easy to tell. Everyone notices quickly. Orford and my father had to hold Gale back from not going crazy and my mother just started crying and left. To top it off my whole prep team and stylist were killed because of the interviews. Lilith was saved since she was not officially part of my prep team, Orford grabbed her one the way. Somethings brightened my day, like Finnick's and Annie's wedding, Gael and I were just dancing and trying to forget the days in the past.

A month after I was rescued, the president of District 13, President Coin, had a voting of the 76th Hunger Games to be with the Capitol's children. I nodded yes, I didn't just say yes for Paige, I said yes for everyone, even for Mace, we were all just children and we didn't deserve to die. Then President Coin was killed by Katniss and Snow was killed by the crowd or he choked on his blood.

Now that I am thirty one and Gale thirty nine, Steven and Paige know about the Games. They just turned seventeen. Steven and Paige saw the 73rd Hunger Games in school and they were surprised to see that I was in it. They asked me so many questions and they were mostly surprised that I could talk. I only talked to them when they were young, which they don't remember. I wrote down everything I could remember. They didn't notice any scares because the Capitol did such a good job at hiding them.

But the damage that the Games have done to me can truly never be undone.

 _ **This is just the aftermath and what would have happened to Ginger. I did turn Ginger into an avox, and I have a good reason for that. The two first avoxes (I think that is how you write it) that we meet, D**_ ** _arius and Lavinia_** __ _ **are both read heads. Now I know that Ginger is a brunet but a ginger head is a person what a person with red hair is called so that is why i did that. Also I forgot to mention that Ginger is very careful during the Games, which is the definition of gingerly (very cautious and careful). I just wanted to add that in. I am going to miss this fanficton, since it was the first on that I wrote. Thank you for reading my story and I hope you liked it!**_


End file.
